Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith beat his own 400m European record with a convincing victory in his season opener at the Diamond League in Oslo.
The 29-year-old ran 44.07 at the Bislett Games, beating his 44.26 from last year’s World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
“Preparation has been going well,” he told BBC Sport. “I knew anything was possible. The time was a bonus.
“I don’t really care about times, I care about victory and preparing for the Olympics. Times are temporary, medals are forever. I’m healthy. Last year I had tendonitis in my Achilles. The goal is the Olympics.
“It was bittersweet last year, so close to the gold. If I can stay healthy anything is possible.”
Former British athlete Tim Hutchings said on BBC Three: “At 200 he was running away, at 300 he was miles ahead. That forward-learning barrel-chested style was absolutely superb.
“He’s knocking on the door of sub-44 seconds. No European has been there before. Hudson-Smith will surely get there in the coming weeks. That was quite fabulous.”
Reigning Diamond League champion Kirani James was second with a season-best time of 44.58.
Ethiopia’s Hagos Gebrhiwet ran the second fastest 5,000m in history, in a time of 12:36.73, to beat compatriot Yomif Kejelcha following a remarkable 54-second last lap.
“The conditions, the crowd, was great and it was a very fast race, not easy for me but it was going very well,” said 30-year-old Gebrhiwet. “The race had some very nice guys running – my friend Kejelcha is a very good guy.
“I will try 10k, maybe I will qualify with the 10k at the Olympics so I want to compete there.”
The home fans got a win to celebrate in the final race of the day as Jakob Ingebrigtsen threw himself over the line to pip Timothy Cheruiyot by three-hundredths of a second in the 1500m.
Ingebrigtsen, who had been looking comfortable until Kenyan Cheruiyot’s late surge, finished in a time of 3:29.74.
Home favourite Karsten Warholm, the Olympic champion, clipped the final hurdle and was pipped in the final straight of the 400m hurdles by Brazil’s Alison dos Santos, who won in a time of 46.63 – a win of seven-hundredths of a second.
South Africa’s Akani Simbine won the 100m race in a time of 9.94 with Japan’s Abdul Hakim Sani Brown second on 9.99. Britain’s Jeremiah Azu was running well when he slowed up halfway through with an injury.
American Brittany Brown pipped Marie-Josee Ta Lou on the line to win the 200m in a time of 22.32, with Britain’s Daryll Neita in third.
Dominica’s Marileidy Paulino won the 400m in a time of 49.30, half a second clear of anyone else.
Rushell Clayton won the 400m hurdles with a run of 54.02 – for an all-Jamaican podium, with Andrenette Knight second and Janieve Russell third.
Australian Georgia Griffith caused a surprise in the women’s 3,000m as a late surge saw her win in a meeting record and personal best time of 8:24.20.
South African Prudence Sekgodiso, who is being tipped for an Olympic medal, ran 1:58.66 to win the 800m event despite slowing up towards the line.
American pole vaulter KC Lightfoot won with a height of 5.82m. Burkina Faso’s Hugues Fabrice Zango won the triple jump with 17.27m.
Lithuania’s Mykolas Alekna threw 70.91m to win the men’s discus. China’s Feng Bin won the women’s discus with a throw of 67.89m despite her final four goes all being invalid.