Warholm goes from 100th to 1st in one year (and a short minute)

Karsten Warholm.Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB scanpix

Karsten Warholm was awarded the prize of Norway’s largest sports star by VG newspaper after winning the World Championship 400m hurdles. Last year he was number 100 in the newspaper’s annual ranking.

 

Most of the climb was made during the 48.35 second win in London in August, the newspaper pointed out.

The first place in the top 100 list was not as clear as Warholm’s World Championship triumph. VG made it clear that it was a difficult choice placing Warholm in front of Marit Bjørgen. She made a fantastic comeback on the cross country track after becoming a mother, but had to be in second place.

The athletes enjoyed two men on the podium, and three in the top ten. Filip Ingebrigtsen was ranked number three after the World Championships bronze at 1500 meters, and Sondre Nordstad Moen was number seven after his marathon race.

The men’s Norwegian handball players are used to living in the shadow of the women, but this year, Sander Sagosen was in fourth place, and the national men’s team were in 9th place after their World Cup silver last winter. Nora Mørk was in 12th place, the highest ranked among the women,who also won silver in the World Cup.

Carlsen in fifth

Magnus Carlsen has scored top marks five times, but fell to fifth place this year.

Other top ten performers are Mats Zuccarello (6), Alexander Kristoff (8), and Cecilia Brækhus (10).

Johannes Høsflot Klæbo (cross country skiing), and Johannes Thingnes Bø (skating),
both of whom claimed the World Championship early in the Olympic season, rank as number 13 and 17 respectively. If they make it as strongly in the winter games, they will be guaranteed placements all the way into next year.

Ada Hegerberg, at 16th, and Joshua King at 18th place, are highest ranked footballers, while Sarah Louise Rung (in 19th place) was called the biggest handicapped star in sports. She was at number two last year.

The athlete given an opportunity by VG newspaper to do the same run as Warholm did this year, is the by no means unknown Petter Northug, who in 2017 is considered Norway’s 100th biggest sports star.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today