Olympic gold medalist Karsten Warholm of Norway expressed his outrage after environmental activists interrupted the 400-meter hurdles race at the Diamond League meet in Stockholm, Sweden. Three individuals knelt on the track near the finish line, holding banners that obstructed several lanes. While Warholm, running in lane eight, was not directly impeded, another protester in lane seven appeared to be documenting the demonstration, seemingly distracting him. Following his victory, Warholm joined the crowd in booing the protesters as security escorted them away.
Warholm voiced his frustration to Norwegian broadcaster NRK, stating, "Protesting is acceptable, but this approach is unacceptable. It disrespects the athletes who have come here to compete." He further admitted to being quite upset by the incident.
Despite the disruption, Warholm won the race with a time of 47.57 seconds, significantly slower than his world record of 45.94 seconds set at the Tokyo Olympics. The 27-year-old athlete boasts an impressive record, including two World Championship gold medals and two golds in both the European Championships and European Indoor Championships.
