Mo Katir retires in Oslo in a mile dominated by Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen

Night to forget. The Muleño Mo Katir planted this Thursday in Oslo with the dream of breaking the oldest record in Spanish athletics, the one achieved by José Luis González on July 27, 1985, in Oslo, at the Bislett Games. He went in the mile and the man from Toledo did 3: 47.79. To beat him, that day Steve Cram had to set the world record (3:46.32). González beat his own Spanish record in almost two seconds (3:49.67), also achieved in 1981 in Oslo. In the same place, 37 years later, a Katir who last year smashed three Spanish records (1,500, 3,000 and 5,000) in just 33 days, made an appointment with history in a long-awaited 1,609 dreamlike meters.

But Katir’s dream quickly turned into a nightmare. She started badly and she soon found herself at the back of the group. Arriving at 300 meters he began to climb positions and was placed next to Nacho Fontes from Granada in the middle of the group. It was a mirage. Nodding and puffing, at 600 meters he stopped. He dropped out. “Bad feelings,” Katir later alleged, driving away the ghost of an injury that would have left him out of the World Cup, which starts in a month in Eugene (Oregon). Katir is not well, far from the athlete who amazed everyone a year ago.

The mile was taken by Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the African Viking. The Norwegian took the win without palliatives with 3:46.46. The Oslo public went crazy with Ingebrigtsen. Norwegian record and best world record of the year. Behind him, almost as impressive, the Australian Oliver Hoare, with 3:47.48. Nacho Fontes was sixth with 3:54.72.

In the 110 hurdles, the Navarrese Asier Martínez (13.30) was impressive and only gave in to the unbeatable Devon Allen (13.22). And Adel Mechaal made a personal mark (13:06.02) and finished seventh in a very fast 5,000. The Ethiopian Telahua Bekele prevailed with 13:03.51.