Heat #1
In Sunday's semis of the men's 1,500m, the format was for the top 5
from each heat to qualify automatically to the final, joined by 2 time
qualifiers.
Heat 1 started at an honest pace as the first 300m was covered in 42.4.
Things slowed down considerably from there as 800m was hit in 2:00.53.
At that point, Bahrain's Belal Mansoor Ali led, with Spain's Juan Carlos Higuero
on his side. Given the 2nd lap was run in 62.72, it shouldn't have come
as a surprise that the field got antsy and tried to position themselves
for what was bound to be a furious last lap. America's flag-bearer Lopez Lomong moved up to the middle of the pack from last at 800m.
But at this level, everyone can stay in the race until the bell. The
pretenders get separated from the contenders over the final lap.
On that final lap, no one was better than the lanky Asbel Kiprop
of Kenya. We had our eyes focused on the 19-year-old Kenyan throughout
this race as watching him run is a thing of beauty. He makes the 1,500m
look like an art performance as he covers the ground like a gazelle.
Kiprop ran this race like a seasoned pro, as often the most confident
runners realize little happens in the first 1k. As a result, Kiprop was
content to stay out of trouble and run in last for the first few laps.
At the bell, Kiprop was in 7th but as they entered the final turn, it
was clear he was going to win the heat as he was moving up quickly and
making it look like they were standing still.
The Bahamian commentator summed up what viewers who hadn't been focused
on Kiprop the whole race must have been thinking when he said with 170
meters to go, "Kiprop appears from nowhere."
A perfect summation of the stunning last lap for the Kenyan.
Morocco's Abdalaati Iquider and Spain's Higuero, who have both looked solid all summer, followed along with surprising Christian Obrist of Italy, who made his first global final, and Ali, a 2007 Worlds finalist. The two time qualifiers, Daham Bashir (Qatar) and Juan van Deventer (South Africa) would come from this heat by hundredths of a second.
Canada's Nate Brannen, the former Michigan Wolverine, who looked exceptional in the first round when he crushed Bernard Lagat, just didn't have it tonight over the final 400m and he finished 9th. Perhaps missing months of training while injured gave him dead legs. Brannen told the CBC, "It went horrible, I just didn't have it tonight, didn't have the
legs," said Brannen. "I was aiming to make the final, but I learned
here in the first round that I could outkick the best in the world."
1500 Metres - M Semi-Final
Qual. rule: first 5 of each heat (Q) plus the 2 fastest times (q) qualified.
Heat 1
17 August 2008 - 21:55
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Heat #2
With the relatively slow winning time of the 1st heat (3:37.07), one
might have logically figured that someone in heat two would take things
out honestly as there were two time qualifiers to the final. Ah, but
then again this is the 1,500m and it seems that at every level - high
school, college or pro - every 1,500m runner always thinks they are
fast and will leave it to their kick.
The opening 300m was decent (44.0), but then things slowed and after
400m was passed in 60.47, things got very bunched and people were
shoving and putting their hands on each other to prevent a tumble.
America's Leonel Manzano moved up to 2nd at this point as Spain's Arturo Casado
led. The 800m was reached in a pedestrian 2:02.05 and it was time to
wait for the furious last lap. Heading into the bell lap, double World
Champion Bernard Lagat was lurking in the back third of the pack, by no means in a perfect position but certainly well positioned to kick and get into the top 5.
At the bell, the pack was still bunched but the pace was starting to wind up as Augustine Choge moved up to make his customary long drive. Down the backstretch, the always-dangerous Mehdi Baala
(France) charged to the front to get out of trouble, apparently confident he
would continue to a qualifying spot. Lagat seemed in position to pounce
but was in 8th and not moving up. The 2005 double World Champion and
last year's silver medallist Rashid Ramzi, who had
been marking Lagat for much of the race, latched on to Baala when the Frenchman made his move.
Going into the final 200m, things got a bit physical as everyone battled for position. Lagat made a panicky move as he squeezed between two runners and moved into the 5th qualifying position as he and Great Britain's new hope Andy Baddeley moved up. However, former Michigan star Nick Willis,
who was in 6th and lost some momentum in the contact that took place heading into the final turn, had aspirations of getting in the top 5 as well.
Only 6 combatants had a shot for the top 5 and Lagat seemed safe.
Shockingly (but not if you watched Lagat's two most recent races and if
you've watched Willis' career), Willis came back on Lagat. The tendency
in the 1,500m is to sometimes kick too early and Willis, the man who
for years has been criticized for seemingly running his own race
somewhat oblivious to what was happening around him, would see his
Achilles heel turn into a huge advantage. He'd saved something for the
last straight and moved back into 5th to grab the final auto qualifying
spot in 3:37.54.
Thus Lagat, the two-time Olympic medallist at 1,500m, was left to lunge
at the line. Clearly he must have known he wasn't in the top 5. He
smartly leaned at the line, probably out of the unlikely hope that he
might still wind up 5th or might somehow squeak in on time. Sadly and
shockingly, Lagat would end up missing the final time qualifier by a
cruel 0.02 as he finished 6th in this heat in 3:37.79. In heat #1, 6th
and 7th were 3:37.75 (van Deventer) and 3:37.77 (Bashir) to eke out the
time qualifiers.
No excuses here. Lagat ran hard through the tape. He just didn't have it. Time to get ready for the 5k.
As the 3rd through 6th runners battled it out for the final three auto qualifiers, two runners were clear of the field and qualifying with ease. Ramzi, who ran the fastest non-final in Olympic 1,500m history in round one, was pulling away with ease, stamping himself as a co-favorite with Kiprop by decisively taking the heat (3:37.11 winning time) from Baala (3:37.47), who was comfortably in second. Ramzi walked the final two steps. Choge didn't look relaxed coming home but his qualification was never in doubt. He ended up 4th in 3:37.54, between Baddeley (3rd in 3:37.47) and Willis.
Lagat wasn't the only big-name casualty from heat #2. World Indoor Champion Deresse Mekonnen finished one spot behind Lagat and also didn't advance.
The other American in this heat, 2005 and 2008 NCAA 1,500m champ Leonel Manzano, was terribly off today. He was way off the pace with a lap to go and would come home last, well behind the field. 1995 NCAA champ and ageless wonder Kevin Sullivan of Canada was also eliminated as well. Like his compatriot Nate Brannen in the 1st heat, Sullivan finished 9th in what was likely his last Olympics. It's a sad shame that Sullivan's early brilliance came prior to the Internet's big-time popularity as many LetsRun.com readers likely don't realize that Sullivan was 5th in the 1995 Worlds while still a collegian at the University of Michigan. He also finished 5th in the 2000 Olympics. A hell of a career.
The post-race interview of Lagat on NBC was poignantly cruel. Bob Neumeier didn't know that Lagat hadn't qualified and neither did Lagat. Lagat was given an open-ended question of "give us your reaction to this race" and Lagat probably assumed given the fact that he wasn't being asked about not qualifying that he indeed had qualified.
Lagat said, "I just wanted to come in and make it in. I didn't
make it in automatically but I'm safe, I'm sure I'm safe. Norhing to worry
about - just go relax and wait for the finals."
Finding out a few minutes later that he didn't make it must have been extra painful.
Lagat's response to Neumeier's second question was encouraging for those American fans looking for hope for the 5k. Neumeier asked Lagat if he had any more life in his legs in the semis than in the first round when he felt flat. Lagat replied, "Yes I did. I liked the feeling today. I wasn't as flat as last
time. But man it was a tough race - there was a lot of pushing."
To read some more about Lagat not qualifying, please see this article where he gives some quotes after knowing he didn't qualify.
Heat 2
KEN
MAR
ESP
ITA
BRN
RSA
QAT
GER
CAN
ETH
ALG
USA
FRA
GBR
NZL
