On Saturday, Pål Haugen Lillefosse erased his Norwegian pole vault record by jumping 5.86 metres. He is now alone the third best player in the world this year.
A few hours ago, Evind Henriksen had thrown an 80.17 sledgehammer. It’s the fifth best throw in the world this year. Lellfuss and Henriksen earned net gold in their respective trainings.
– He’s totally world-class, and he’s usually given a medal at international tournaments, Slokvik tells NTB.
In the past two years, it has given 5.87 bronze in the pole vault in the water, while Henriksen’s throw would have given the silver medal at the World Cup and fourth place in the Olympics. Lilfuss tried to score 5.90 when the win was guaranteed, but it was too tough for him. He gave up after one try.
Medal Candidates
Slokvik believes the performance in NC is well ahead of the summer championship that begins with WC at American Eugene in less than three weeks. Norway is aiming for two medals.
– If they jump 5.86 and go on the first try, it’s usually a medal. At least we have a number of candidates for medals. Not everyone enters.
In addition, the brothers Sondre and Simen Guttormsen are on top of the world.
Warholm and Ingbrigtsen
However, should Norway have two World Cup medals, it may be necessary for Carsten Warholm to recover from a thigh injury. Slokvik says it looks good for an Olympic and World Cup winner.
– There is a possibility of that. It’s going well and the right way. They follow the plan and progress. As of today, it appears to be doing just that. Slokvik says he’s on schedule.
Jakob Ingbrigtsen is also a clear candidate for the medal ahead of the World Cup. He prioritized altitude training over the National Championships this year.
Probably in the heat of the World Cup
Slokvik stated that the Norwegian WC team will likely have 16-18 athletes, and that there are many participants in the discussion about taking them out after NM performances.
– There were two pieces on Saturday that were presented so they will probably play in the World Cup. Thomas Mardal, who came second in the hammer, and Tom Erling Carbow, who won the 3000m hurdles. As now, they are there, says the athletic director and adds:
– It’s not entirely certain, but at least they did well.
Mardal finished second with a throw of 72.95, while Karbo won the 3000m with a time of 8.31.13. Plus, Slokvik is “absolutely sure” that Markus Thomsen (the awesome) will get a spot in the restroom.