Comparison of tactics (or how it looked) between Webb, Ramzi and Lagat:
Agree with the poster who said throughout the race, Lagat was putting himself in a good position, and that he responded quickly when the pace changed. At the bell, he was near the back, but he didn't kick early. He waited until 300m to go before starting to slide up the inside, but didn't really gun for home until inside the last 200m. He seemed to catch a break when it opened up around him as the bend starts, and he took advantage of it by moving to the outside to get around the people in front of him. Even though he ended up wide, he didn't really pass everyone on the curve, but rather coming off of it into the home straight. Saving energy, perfect timing, strong finish.
Second Semi:
Webb at times was lagging. Ramzi was at the back of the pack for most of the race, but Alan was in a different position, off the back at times. Contrast their positions at the bell - Ramzi was already forging his way through the pack, Webb was 2-3m off the back as they pass the line. On the curve Ramzi is finding/making space for himself on the outside of the pack as the pace picks up, setting himself up for the moves that are coming on the back straight. He's near the front at this stage, and catches the leader at the start of the curve, passes him before the home straight and holds on. Webb didn't start to move until the back straight. Had Webb been in the position of Kevin Sullivan with 300m to go, or on the back straight itself (Sullivan was in 6th and able to get to the outside with 250m to go) he would have qualified far more easily (Webb was still last, pulling even with the Japanese runner.) It was only about 10m between Webb and Sullivan, but Webb didn't end up passing Sully until the bend, so it is an important 10m. If Webb had moved earlier, we might have seen a Webb/Ramzi duet down the home stretch, and some more chirping from Letsrunnner about gamesmanship.
One more note: Ramzi made his move from the back of the pack to the middle about 50m before the bell, and he pushes the Japanese runner out of the way to get by (Ramzi's running just behind him, and pushes between him and the runner in red on the inside.) It's a pretty big shove, pushes the Japanese runner into the Italian, and Ramzi is through. Sully himself talked about some rough tactics, and that was rough, and low. Makes it too easy to see Ramzi as a villan.