Former 400m hurdles world champion Dai Greene (36) pays tribute to Karsten Warholm (26) to VG. This time, however, England did not believe in Norwegian gold.

– For me, he is the best of all time. He himself has redefined what is possible in the 400 meter hurdles. He excelled in all areas, praising former 400m hurdles world champion Dai Greene to VG.

He is one of 13 athletes to have won World Cup gold at a distance. It happened in 2011, but since then the practice, led by Warholm, has taken a new level.

In the Olympic final in Tokyo, Sunnmøringen lowered his world record to an incredible 45.94 seconds, and during this summer’s World Cup in Eugene, he chased another record.

There, Warholm could become the first man to win three consecutive World Cup gold medals in a long hurdle. Greene predicts similar races as in Tokyo, where the fastest, second fastest and fourth fastest times ever were set.

– When I look at the results from Tokyo, it’s quite clear that the new track technology and new shoe technology improve performance. In addition, the high temperature helps the athletes to perform optimally. “I suspect we’ll see something similar in Oregon, where there are new tracks and warm weather,” the 36-year-old said.

Greene spoke of the Olympic track, which athletes describe as a “trampoline” and of the supershoes that characterize athletics.

Warholm runs a test run at the 400 meter hurdles in the WC on Saturday 16 July. Warholm will be out in the third heat, which starts at 22:34.

Warholm has only started one race this season. During the opening race in Rabat in Morocco, he picked up a hoarding injury which immediately raised concerns about his possible World Cup participation.

It has now been confirmed that the 26-year-old will start, and Greene doesn’t necessarily believe the lack of competition will be a problem for Warholm.

– We’re used to seeing Warholm give everything from the first yard. He always delivers fast time. We can only assume that he has trained his nest sufficiently over a long period of time, that he feels quite prepared. Therefore I don’t think that the lack of races will be a factor. The most important factor is how much he misses training due to injury, he believes.

This year, the fastest person in the world is Alison dos Santos, who ran 46.80 in Stockholm. The silver winner from Tokyo Rai Benjamin was second fastest with 47.04. Who did Warholm see as the biggest competitors?

– Right now I don’t think you can separate Rai and Dos Santos. Rai has been my strongest competitor for three years now, and Dos Santos has sailed as a fantastic 400-hitch runner, Warholm told VG.

He believes that the 400-meter hurdle has a “golden generation” and is happy that the level is high, even though he has been struggling with injuries lately.

– You really have to fight for it. Those wins are the best. No win feels as good as Tokyo, when the levels are so high. That’s how you now feel that you are truly alive. I know now that I will not get anything for free, said the Norwegian hope.

Despite Greene calling Warholm “the greatest of all time”, the 2011 world champion does not believe the Norwegian will emerge victorious for the third time in a row in Eugene.

– Despite Warholm’s good history, I think people should consider dos Santos and Benjamin as favourites. I saw Benjamin’s 47.04 race, and it was a mess. It was clear that he could run low at 46 again.

Dos Santos is technically fantastic and keeps improving. He wanted confidence to surprise the others. The trio will distribute medals among themselves, but all eyes will be on Warholm in the first round and semifinals, to see if he is in top shape to defend his title, Greene concluded.

The World Athletics Championships take place between 15-24. July. The championship is broadcast on NRK.