Flying Dutchwoman Dafne Schippers fired a warning shot at potential Olympic rivals with a crushing win in the 200m at the Diamond League meeting in Oslo on Thursday.
The world champion ran a fast bend and hit the back straight ahead of in-form Jamaican Elaine Thompson, in her outside lane, in chilly conditions at Bislett Stadium. Schippers, the 2014 European double sprint champion, clocked 21.93 seconds, with world silver medallist Thompson second in 22.64 secs.
“To run under 22 seconds in these conditions is very special for me,” said the Dutchwoman, who set the Beijing World Championships alight last year with victory in a third-fastest time ever of 21.63 secs. “The curve here is excellent, but I must admit that the last 50 metres were very tough. After all the Diamond Leagues, I need to rest and train a little bit before the (July 6-10) European Championships in my country. No more races until then.”
Canada’s Andre De Grasse was almost handed a shock in the 100m by 40-year-old Kim Collins, who blasted out of the blocks and was leading through 60 metres before pulling up in agony with a left hamstring injury.
De Grasse, world bronze medallist last year in Beijing, powered past the stranded St Kitts and Nevis veteran to win in 10.07 secs ahead of Americans Michael Rodgers (10.09) and Dentarius Locke (10.12).
“I’m pretty happy with the race,” said the Canadian, 21. “I ran my season best as I wanted.”
Collins later tweeted: “Really sorry for the disappointment. Terrible cramp in my left groin.#recovery thanks to all.”
Asbel Kiprop, triple world champion, 2008 Olympic champion and current world leader in the 1,500m, produced the goods to kick out on his own to win a fifth fabled Dream Mile title in 3:51.48.
Kiprop, who was awarded the Olympic gold for the 1,500m after the original winner, Moroccan-born Bahraini Rashid Ramzi, tested positive for doping, finished ahead of current world number two and world silver medallist, fellow countryman Elijah Motonei Manangoi, while current Olympic 1500m champion Taoufik Makhloufi of Algeria rounded out the podium.
“I wanted to run fast but the weather changed. It became too chilly, but I tried my best!” said Kiprop. “I’m very satisfied with the season so far and my plan continues... we now head to Olympic trials and then the Games.”
There was also a fourth meeting win for French pole-vaulter Renaud Lavillenie, whose 5.80m trumped the 5.73 effort of Canada’s world champion Shawn Barber. “It was very tough in these conditions, but I’m pretty satisfied... it’s a win,” said the Olympic champion.
American Briana Rollins, world champion in 2013, won the women’s 100m
hurdles in 12.56 secs ahead of compatriots Dawn Harper-Nelson and Jasmin Stowers. Australia’s reigning Olympic champion Sally Pearson struggled home in last place (13.14).
Two-time world medallist Hagos Gebrhiwet claimed the 5,000m in 13:07.70 in an Ethiopian podium sweep which could well send shivers down the spine of two-time defending Olympic champion and three-time world champ Mo Farah.
“I beat all other candidates for Olympics in our team today but the time was not good,” said Gebrhiwet, who won world silver in 2013 and bronze last year. “In Ethiopia we don’t have trials but go by times, so I’ll go to Stockholm next week to try to confirm my Olympic selection.”
Olympic champion Sandra Perkovic, with 67.10m, won the women’s discus, her third consecutive victory in Oslo. Two reigning world champions also claimed victories: American Joe Kovacs in the men’s shot put (22.01m) and Kenyan Hyvin Kiyeng in the women’s 300m steeplechase (9:09.57).
But Kiyeng’s teammate Nicholas Bett, the shock world 400m hurdles champion in Beijing last year, could only finish sixth in a race won by Cuban-born Turk Yasmani Copello from lane one in a season’s best 48.79 secs.
Almost simultaneously, another Copello, Alexis—unrelated and still competing for Cuba—claimed victory in the men’s triple jump, his best of 16.91m just seeing off France’s world indoor record holder Teddy Tamgho (16.80).

Dibaba pulls out of Stockholm Diamond League meeting
Ethiopia’s world 1,500m champion Genzebe Dibaba saw her pre-Rio Olympic plans worsen with news she has also withdrawn from the June 16 Diamond League meeting in Stockholm. Dibaba, 25, had been expected to try to break the world record for the mile in Oslo on Thursday and to also try to improve her own 1500m world record of 3:50.07 in Sweden. But a toe injury has put paid to those audacious bids as well as her slated season opener over 5000m in Eugene on May 27.