The 2020 Bislett Games appeared destined to go bankrupt as a casualty of COVID-19.
Meet director Steinar Hoen wasn’t about to let this happen to the venerable Norwegian Diamond League Athletics Meeting and its storied tradition.
Thinking outside the box, Hoen has implemented ingenious modifications and innovation across all events: limited athletes per event adhering to social distancing guidelines, record chases enhanced by wavelength technology and marquee names competing in France and Kenya via video.
“We’re not making a meet, we’re making a TV show and when you make a TV show, everything is possible,” Hoen tells ATR’s Brian Pinelli in the latest video edition of ATRadio.Initially planned as a one-hour TV program with just seven events tosatisfy sponsor obligations, Hoen’s “Impossible Games” have since grown rapidly with numerous international sports networks now picking up the NRK feed.
“I think these Impossible Games for the Norwegian audience are going to be more interesting than the regular Bislett Games,” Hoen said
