Diamond League stops in Paris and Oslo bring out the best in On Athletes

Zurich, Switzerland, June 16, 2023 - The two Diamond League stops in Paris, and Oslo saw many On athletes toeing the start lines and a good portion of them bringing home new season or personal bests, as well as three national records.

Diamond League Paris: Jhinaoui takes Tunisian record, season bests for Hurta-Klecker and Monson

After pacing a world record a week before, Sage Hurta-Klecker took to her signature event, the 800m at the Diamond League stop in Paris. Finishing with a season-best 1:59.01, she took seventh place and beat the third-best U.S. 800m runner, Raevyn Rogers in the process. "She'll have wanted to finish higher," coach Dathan Ritzenhein said," but it's a great place to be a month away from the U.S. National Championships." 

Her teammate Alicia Monson raced her first outdoor 5000m race of the year. She ended up in eighth with a season-best 14:34.88 in a speedy event in which Faith Kipyegon would eventually break the world record. "That was a strong run," said Coach Ritzenhein. "It was her first outdoor race of the season, and not long after battling Covid for the second time. The pace was just so crazy, but she held on and had a solid finish."

Tuscany camp athlete Mohamed Amin Jhinaoui shone with fifth place and a new Tunisian record in the 3.000m steeplechase. French On athlete Agnès Raharolahy also took home a new season best (2:00.14) and 14th place in the women's 800m race.

Diamond League Oslo: Bekele and Nuguse with big performances

Just six days later, the world elite of track runners met back up in Oslo for the next edition of the Diamond League. Here, On athlete Telahun Haile Bekele (ETH) stole the show with an incredible performance. Not only did he finish third in a new personal best of 12:46.21 in the 5000m event, which ranks him as the 10th fastest athlete of all time over the distance, but he also won the spectators' hearts with an enthusiastic post-race celebration.

Fellow On athletes Joe Klecker and Zerei Kbrom Mezngi knew their limits and chose not to follow a train of four men who, in an enormous surge, tore apart the field during the race. Klecker's savvy tactics paid off as he mustered just enough energy to finish an impressive 4th in 12:56.59. "I won the best of the rest after those top three guys," Klecker said, "and to break 13 minutes again on such a warm night, I'm thrilled with that." Zerei Kbrom Mezngi finished 14th with a personal best of 13:27.31.

Alicia Monson competed on the 3000m distance in Oslo and brought home fourth place in 8:29.43. Once the pacesetter stepped off, she courageously took the lead and pressed on before a trio of Kenyans engulfed her on the final lap. "It was a good race; I went for it and dug in at the end," Monson said after her race. 

Josette Norris toed the line in the women's 5000m race and came home with tenth place and a new personal best of 4:21.98. The race was billed to be fast and did not disappoint, with the winner setting a U20 world record. Norris started strong but used a lot of energy in constant fights for positions and ran out of steam in the end.

The men's 1500m race was billed as the one to watch, as Olympic Champion Jakob Ingebrigsten openly voiced that he was taking a crack at the world record (3:26.00). All eyes were on the Norwegian dominator who led the pack behind the pacer, but OAC's Yared Nuguse and Olli Hoare followed hot on his heels. For two and a half laps, the entire field built tension waiting for the final lap.

When the bell rang, the stadium rallied for its home hero, who managed to pull away and win in an impressive 3:27.9. Behind the Norwegian, Nuguse, Hoare, and Mario Garcia Romo were in the thick of the action and all finished under the magical 3:30.00 marker. In the end, Nuguse claimed third with a new personal best and a new American Record (3:29.02), Garcia Romo was fifth and also set a personal best (3:29.18), and Hoare came in seventh and as the new Australian and Oceania record holder (3:29.41). Charles Grethen finished fourteenth (3:36.27).

Obiri and Lumb take wins in New York and Geneva

In other news, Hellen Obiri finished second with the time of 30:19 at the Mastercard New York Mini 10K on June 10, and of the newest athletes on the On roster, Canada's Kieran Lumb took home his first international win as a pro at AthleticaGeneve, clocking a smooth 3:37 for the 1500m on June 11.

About On

On was born in the Swiss Alps with one goal: to revolutionize the sensation of running by empowering all to run on clouds. Thirteen years after market launch, On delivers industry-disrupting innovation in premium footwear, apparel, and accessories for high-performance running, outdoor, and all-day activities. Fueled by customer recommendation, On’s award-winning CloudTec® innovation, purposeful design, and groundbreaking strides in sportswear’s circular economy have attracted a fast-growing global fan base — inspiring humans to explore, discover and dream on.

On is present in more than 60 countries globally and engages with a digital community on www.on.com.