Karsten Warholm opens his season in Rabat
Karsten Warholm makes his much-anticipated start to the 2022 summer season by racing 400m hurdles at the Diamond League in Rabat on Sunday (June 5).
The world record-holder and Olympic champion chose not to compete in any of the early-season meetings, such as the Pre Classic last weekend in Eugene, but is now dusting off his spikes to run in Morocco.
The Norwegian should have a fairly routine season opener, though, as only two of his rivals have broken 49 seconds this year – Rasmus Mägi of Estonia and Khallifah Rosser of the United States.
But Warholm always seems to run hard and it will be interesting to see how close he gets to his phenomenal world record of 45.94 set during the Tokyo Olympics.
"It's my first time in Rabat, which is a beautiful place," says Warholm. "There are always a lot of nerves when it comes to the season's first race as you've been doing a lot of work but you don't quite know how you're going to race. I feel I'm in a good place but also have a lot to live up to after last year.
"The World Championships are this year and I've been doing a lot of work for it. This is a good place to start the season as it's a good track and weather and I think it's going to be a good competition."
The Rabat meeting is making a return this weekend after it had to be called off in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid pandemic. When it was abandoned last year, Birmingham stepped into the fray to stage a Diamond League on the same weekend at short notice. But now the event returns to the World Athletics flagship series.
Also in action are Jamaican Elaine Thompson-Herah in the 100m against Switzerland’s Ajla Del Ponte, Marie-Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast and Michelle-Lee Ahye of Trinidad and Tobago, while American sprinter Kenny Bednarek takes on in-form Canadian Jerome Blake in the 200m.
In the middle-distance races Mohamed Katir of Spain plus Jake Heyward and Jake Wightman of Britain are in the men's 1500m, while Francine Niyonsaba is favourite in the women's 3000m.
The discus features Olympic medallists Daniel Stahl, Simon Petterson, Lukas Weisshaidlinger and in-form Kristjan Čeh.
Olympic long jump champion Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece has an intriguing clash against Swiss decathlete Simon Ehammer, who jumped a world lead of 8.45m in Götzis last weekend. World champion Tajay Gayle, JuVaughn Harrison, Thobias Montler and Ruswahl Samaai are also in the competition.
A strong men's steeplechase also sees Lamecha Girma, fresh from his sub-eight-minute run in Ostrava, against local star Soufiane El Bakkali, plus Conseslus Kipruto.
Also competing are American pole vaulters Katie Nageotte and Sandi Morris, plus Ukrainian high jump star Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Sandi Morris.
Further Brits in action include Olympic pole vault medallist Holly Bradshaw, high jumper Morgan Lake, discus thrower Lawrence Okoye, 800m runner Alex Bell, 1500m runner Melissa Courtney-Bryant and 3000m Amy-Eloise Markovc.
For viewers in the UK the event is on BBC3 from 7-9pm on Sunday.
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