Grøvdal was fourth in the second semifinal with a time of 14:53.07. Five went straight to the final. The time was also the sixth-best in the two semifinals, with world record holder Letesenbet Gidey being the fastest with 14.52.27

– He never looked better in the championship than he did here through the final turn, said NRK commentator Jann Post.

This is how Grøvdal himself responded to the analysis:

– We ran a little too fast, but it was actually pretty easy all the way. It’s kind of fun and unusual to get out of the last corner and actually give up a little bit, trying to be a little tactical.

Runner fainted

He was excited because it was a very hot day in Eugene, Oregon. Grøvdal has struggled several times in the heat.

– FEveryone knows I’m not a fan of heat, but it went really well. “It was 32 degrees and very hot, but I seem to be handling it just fine this time,” he said.

Not everyone gets over it either. Sara Benfares of Germany was completely eliminated on the field.

– Oh, shit, shit, shit, shit, said Alina Reh when NRK showed her the photo of the village woman.

Benfares must be assisted in a wheelchair.

– I haven’t spoken to him, so I don’t really know what happened to him. I think he passed out. “When I crossed the finish line I caught him with one lap, and saw that he wasn’t running straight ahead,” said Leh, showing with his hand how the Benfares ran.

Reh also struggles alone:

– I think it’s a very difficult condition, he said.

Turn off the heater

England’s Jessica Judd was also left lying on the track, but eventually got up.

Grøvdal was well prepared, and didn’t experience heat as a problem.

– Today was hot, but I can name a lot worse races. I cut down on the heating today, and put on a cooling vest and ice cubes before starting. It worked, he told NRK.

– But my mouth is dry, he admits.

Beat the Norwegian record

On June 16, Grøvdal ran at 2:31.07 during the Bislett Games, beating the record of 36-year-old Ingrid Kristiansen in Norway. The timing was also the fifth best in the world this year.

Thus, it was expected that he would go to the finals.

– There’s a good flow during the day, and I’m happy to be fit. “I’ve done what I had to do for this, and then it’s like giving what you have,” he told NRK.

– Impossible to say

NRK expert commentator Vebjørn Rodal was impressed by the implementation.

– “He had ambition from the start here, not only to follow, but to get into the final and show himself there,” he said.

Now the question is what to expect from Norway’s hopes in the final.

– It’s impossible to say. I’m a little nervous about this attempt, as I don’t experiment often. I’m used to having one race where I give my all. Now I have two. So I had to use the next three days really well and recover from this. “It costs a little to run at 14.53, but I have a good feeling, and that’s important,” said Grøvdal.

– “I want to do a race like in Bislett and bring out my skills,” he said, without wanting to predict what might happen.