Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell headlines the field at the Bislett Games when the Diamond League series comes to Europe for the first time on Friday.
Powell is in good form after setting the year's fastest 100-meter time of 9.83 seconds in Ostrava, Czech Republic, last week.
“I’m very confident because I didn't expect to start out the season so well,” Powell said at the meet’s annual strawberry party at Oslo’s city hall. “I know I'm capable of running very fast tomorrow. We’ll just have to see how fast.”
Powell will not be facing Tyson Gay or world record-holder Usain Bolt, who is injured, but said that he was looking forward to coming up against his rivals again soon.
“It’s pretty exciting because whenever us three guys go on the track together, it’s something to rememeber,” said Powell. “I’m not scared of anybody with how I'm running this year.”
The trio have yet to face off in the Diamond League's inaugural 14-meet season, which has so far gone to Doha, Qatar, and Shanghai.
Despite the high-profile absentees in Oslo, there will be a host of elite athletes hoping to set the 70th world record at the stadium dubbed “the world record track”.
American Carmelita Jeter, the second-fastest woman ever over 100, will try to continue her sprint dominance over a longer distance when she races in the 200.
The long-standing rivalry between Americans Bershawn Jackson and Kerron Clement continues in the men’s 400 hurdles. Olympic bronze medallist Jackson got the better of Clement in the first meet in Doha by only 0.16 seconds.
Another highlight includes the battle between two young stars of the 800, with Kenya's David Rudisha facing Abubaker Kaki from Sudan for the first time this year. Rudisha set the year's fastest time over the distance in Doha while Kaki stormed to the world junior record at the Bislett Games two years ago.
Norway's Andreas Thorkildsen represents the host nation's best chance of a victory when he competes in the javelin.
“My expectations are high,” said the world and Olympic champion, who threw 90.37 meters at an event on Saturday. “On Friday I really want to get a personal best and I think I'm capable of it”.
Croatia's Blanka Vlasic said that she was motivated to get back to winning ways in the high jump after her disappointing third-place finish at last week's rainsoaked meet in Ostrava.
Men's shot-put returns to the Bislett Games after a 10-year hiatus with world and indoor champion Christian Cantwell leading the Diamond League standings.
The Diamond League is the successor to the Golden League. There is a total of $6.3 million in prize money across 32 track and field disciplines. The top performers in each event at the end of the season will get $40,000 as well as a diamond trophy valued at $10,000.
