Karsten Warholm on his way to winning the 400m hurdles in Ostrava (© AFP / Getty Images)
Organisers of Berlin’s ISTAF have arranged for two-time world champion Karsten Warholm to compete in the 400m hurdles at the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meeting in the German capital on 13 September.
The 24-year-old Norwegian has been in sensational form in 2020. He opened his season by clocking a world best of 33.78 over 300m hurdles at the Impossible Games in Oslo. He then went on to win the 400m hurdles at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Monaco, smashing the meeting record with 47.10.
In Stockholm nine days later, he went even faster. Despite clattering the final barrier, he triumphed in 46.87 – the second-fastest time in history and just 0.09 shy of Kevin Young’s world record from the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. For good measure, he went on to win the 400m flat later that afternoon in 45.05.
Warholm won again at the Continental Tour Gold meeting in Ostrava on Tuesday. Although he was disappointed not to reproduce his form from Stockholm, his winning time of 47.62 was still an improvement on the meeting record.
He’ll line up in Berlin with the aim of producing another fast time. Warholm has fond memories of the German capital as it is where, in 2018, he won the European title in 47.64, a PB at that time.
“I have very good memories of the blue track in the Olympic Stadium. The fans are great,” said Warholm. “For me, it's always about doing my best, staying relaxed and doing my thing – and not thinking too much about goals and expectations.”
Fellow world champion Daniel Stahl is another recently confirmed name for the ISTAF meeting. The Swedish discus thrower will take on 2017 world champion Andrius Gudzius, 2015 world champion Piotr Malachowski and rising Slovenian talent Kristjan Ceh.
Other stars confirmed for the meeting include pole vault world record-holder Mondo Duplantis, two-time world pole vault champion Sam Kendricks, world long jump champion Malaika Mihambo, world and Olympic triple jump champion Christian Taylor, and 2017 world javelin champion Johannes Vetter.
Organisers for World Athletics
