Allen Johnson at the Strawberry Party press conference (© Hasse Sjögren)
A newly built athletics palace will welcome the ExxonMobil Bislett Games - the third leg of the TDK Golden League 2005 - back to its home town after a one year’s sojourn in Bergen’s Fana stadium on Friday 29 July.
Strawberries and Ice Cream tradition remains a constant
At 15.00GMT today in Oslo’s grand City Hall which hosts the Nobel Prize giving ceremony each December, the traditional Bislett Games Strawberry Party was held. This happy occasion which was begun in 1965 as a private affair between the families of Arne Haukvik, the Norwegian meeting director and driving force of the Bislett Games for decades, and Australian distance running legend Ron Clarke, whose career he managed, gradually grew from a modest affair in Haukvik's garden, into the more formal meeting point between the athletes and the media we enjoyed today.
This annual gathering acts as social bridge between the past and the present of the Bislett Games, just as today Steve Cram, one of the famous middle distance trio of British milers who delighted this and so many other meeting audiences in the 1980s, met with Daniel Kipchirchir Komen, who at 20 is an aspiring ‘great’, and already the IAAF World Ranked number two miler, and with 3:31.01 the second fastest 1500m runner of the summer.
Each year it is the same. Old Oslo stadium stars mix with the new 'hope-to-be' crowd pleasers in a relaxed manner, quaffing bowls of strawberries and ice cream, a Norwegian summer favourite, while enjoying the views of the city harbour which this impressive municipal edifice overlooks.
A successful build - on budget and perfectly designed
However, this year the importance of the tradition of such a well loved occasion was greater than ever. After a battle with cancer Arne Haukvik sadly passed away in 2002, and after the 2003 Bislett Games ‘his’ stadium, also met its end.
Tomorrow after one year in Bergen, the meeting returns to a completely rebuilt Bislett stadium, and in such a context traditions are even more important. Not that there is much to worry about, as after stepping foot on the track today, and walking into the centre of this athletics bowl, there is no doubt that Bislett’s magic will live on.
The shape and form of the original has been reproduced with minute care, and while the 24,000 capacity has been reduced to 15,400, the ticket holders remain perched on steeply banked tribunes, which means they are nearly on top of the athletes. No need for binoculars here!
The building cost of 450,000,000 Norwegian Crowns (56.9 million euros) has come in exactly on budget, with the stadium torn down and re-built in 10 months, and the addition of a 500m two lane warm-up track under the spectator tribunes. In bricks and mortar at least, the Bislett old has been well and successfully joined with its future, and it was a pleasure to have witnessed that at today’s site visit.
Shortly after 7pm tomorrow (Fri 29), the Mayor of Oslo will open the ExxonMobil Bislett Games in the presence of amongst others, His Majesty King Harald of Norway, Her Majesty, Queen Sonja and IAAF President Lamine Diack.
Zelezny test-out
If we are looking for a solid athletics link from the old stadium to the new, we can find no better example than the presence of triple Olympic and World Javelin Throw champion Jan Zelezny. On the 14 July 1990, the peerless Czech thrower set a World record of 89.66m at this meeting. This year Zelezny who is now 39-years-old will test himself out before next month’s World Championships.
"I am very much looking forward to seeing how this stadium has been changed. But of course the most important thing is how I will throw,” said Zelezny. “I hope to make it a tough time for the younger generation. I had a solid start in Thessaloniki and want to confirm good shape in Oslo. On Monday I will announce at a press conference with my shoe supplier Mizuno - IAAF Partner - whether I will go to Helsinki or not. It will be based on how I feel with my Achilles and my back, and also my result in Oslo.”
The youngsters he faces couldn’t provide greater opposition. Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen (23) of Norway, silver medallist Vadims Vasilevskis (23) of Latvia, and world season leader Tero Pitkämäki (22) to name but three. Throw in (pun intended) World champion and Olympic bronze medallist Sergey Makarov, who like Zelezny is in his 30s and you have a classy competition.
Johnson is prepared for lots of excitement
Another famous name from the old Bislett who returns to the new, is 1996 Olympic champion Allen Johnson (USA). “I haven’t seen the new stadium but I competed in the old place four or five times and there was always a lot of excitement, and I am sure it will be the same as the old,” confirmed the four-time World champion who jointly holds the stadium record at 13.14 for 110m Hurdles.
“I’ll try for a quicker time, but I can’t promise anything…there are ten barriers, that’s ten opportunities to make a mistake but I’ll do my best." The 34-year-old who faces double Olympic silver medallist Terrence Trammell and Ladji Doucouré who beat him in Paris, and has since gone under-13 seconds (12.97) for a national record and the quickest time in the world in 2005 at the French Championships (15 July).
No stopping Lebedeva
With the one million dollars TDK Golden League Jackpot still at stake, it is perhaps fanciful to think that Christine Arron (FRA - 100m), Lashinda Demus (USA - 400m H) and Tatyana Lebedeva (RUS - TJ) will be too concerned with the architectural merits of the new stadium. Yet racing in distinctive yellow bib numbers which highlight each Jackpot contender, they will be the focus of much attention tomorrow night.
In the 100m dash, Arron must face the Olympic silver medallist Lauryn Williams, and LaTasha Colander, the Athens eighth placer. Demus has the harder draw, with both the Olympic second, third and fourth placers, respectively Ionela Tirlea-Manolache (ROM), Ukrainian Tatyana Terechuk, and Sheena Johnson, to contend with at the 400m Hurdles.
Double World Triple Jump champion Tatyana Lebedeva with a 15.11 world leading mark, and all three of her competitions this summer over 15m is just so far ahead of her rivals at the moment. The next best in the world, Baya Rahouli, the Olympic 6th placer from Algeria has a summer best of 14.98m. It would be the shock of the night if the Russian, who is also Olympic Long Jump champion and IAAF World Ranked number one for both events, was defeated.
Holm heads usual high quality
The men’s High Jump is a quality affair as it has been all season. Olympic champion Stefan Holm (SWE) will wish to warm-up a little after a 2.33m victory in chilly, damp conditions in Stockholm, and much of the supporting cast from Sweden on Tuesday have followed him to Oslo. One who wasn’t competing there was reigning World champion Jacques Freitag. The South African’s fluctuating form this year will be interesting to inspect just under ten days before the World title meet begins in Helsinki. His joint-world season leader (2.38m) Andrey Sokolovskiy will also jump.
Andrianova – safe bet
In the women’s 800m, Russian Tatyana Andrianova another Stockholm winner will also be the centre of attention. The Russian champion and world season leader (1:56.07) is about as firm a gold medal bet for the World Championships as you will find based upon current form.
In the men’s two lapper, South Africa’s Mbulaeni Mulaudzi who sped to a 1:44.08 World season lead in Helsinki on Monday night, faces the man who beat him to Olympic gold last summer, Russia’s Yuriy Borzakovskiy.
Ochichi the favourite but Jamal provides added interest
Gete Wami, who was omitted from the Ethiopian marathon squad for Helsinki, goes in the women’s 3000m but the World 10,000m champion of 1999 is likely to be left lacking for pace when the presence of Kenya’s Olympic 5000m silver medallist Isabella Ochichi is considered. The best bet for Ethiopian success, by proxy in this case, comes from Wami’s former compatriot Maryam Yusuf Jamal (Zenebech Tola) now competing for Bahrain, who with a 3:59.13 national record is this season’s second fastest over 1500m.
Also on the programme are the men’s 400m and 5000m which are both very open affairs. If we are to make an arbitrary selection then there are two World champions Tyree Washington (indoor 2003) and Avard Moncur (outdoor 2001) in the one lap, while 2001 World champion Richard Limo, Commonwealth gold medallist Sammy Kipketer, and double World XC short race winner John Kibowen, lead a Kenyan charge over the 5000m.
Two classic events which are not mentioned in this preview are the men’s 100m and of course, the ExxonMobil Bislett Games' traditional finale, the Dream Mile. Both have already been covered in previous news stories which can be found by following the links below –
Younger generation confirm Oslo’s sprint pedigree
The Dream Mile, Bislett's centre piece
Chris Turner
IAAF Editorial Manager
