The Official Men's 1500m Thread

Statlists are up:

http://www.iaaf.org/mini/oly12/Results/ResultsByDate.aspx?racedate=08-05-2012/sex=M/discCode=1500/combCode=hash/roundCode=sf/startlist.html#detM_1500_hash_sf

first 5 of each heat (Q) plus the 2 fastest times (q) qualified.

Chepseba thrown into the second heat. Still think the first heat is tougher tough.

"I'd be surprised if any american makes the final - that was not impressive"

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Not only are you wrong (totally), but you don't understand what the quarterfinals are all about. Advancing is the name of the game at this point and all three Americans accomplished this task. You can criticize if they don't run better in the Semi finals, but Centro did run cool and collected (his trademark). Wheating and Manzano likely don't have the tools to get to the finals, but they did well enough to survive the quarterfinals.

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I didn't get the sense that strategy was planned before race. Sounded like Willis saw opportunity to box in Nixon in last few hundred meters and took it. Strategic, but not premeditated.

Willis always had struck me as good tactician. He has a real knack for putting himself in good position and finding his way through the crowds when it comes time to kick.

Now we know that his racing savvy is not only a matter of putting himself in good position, but also putting his rivals in a bad one.

"I'd be surprised if any american makes the final - that was not impressive"

Really? It's called strategy. What's NOT impressive is to run like a bandit to win a round 1 heat. Centro and Leo did what was necessary to get them into the semi's. Jury still out on Andrew's tactics.

Willis hustles and moves runners around him.

Willis is a Sheep Dog.

Chepseba should be out. Joke letting him through. JOKE

I predicted they were going to let him in. Now, let us wait for the karma part

Captain Awesome wrote:

Karma ( I am a bitch) wrote:

I think they are going to let him in... IAAF/IOC favors

Kenyans, plus we really should not celebrate his misfortune, Karma is a bitch (we have the semi-finals coming up) and we do not want something to happen to our people, or imagine if something like that happened to Rupp

No such thing as karma.

Chepseaba put himself in that position- and thats what can happen... very lucky to be through!

Runthedistance2 wrote:

I was suprise to see Nick Willis rejoice because of Chepseba's demise, Nick got let in when he felt during the World Championships last year

This is just it. Didn't he fall and got let in? And what's with the "lets hate on Kenya" bandwagon? Isn't it better to win (or lose) against the best and not because of someone's misfortune?

Kenyanna wrote:

Runthedistance2 wrote:

I was suprise to see Nick Willis rejoice because of Chepseba's demise, Nick got let in when he felt during the World Championships last year

This is just it. Didn't he fall and got let in? And what's with the "lets hate on Kenya" bandwagon? Isn't it better to win (or lose) against the best and not because of someone's misfortune?

This is the Olympics. Not a hippy running festival dedicated to world peace.

I'm not sure Nick Willis realised that Chepseba had actually been tripped from behind (at least not when they interviewed him).

Beating the best also means beating the guys with the best tactics, not just the guys with fastest times. However in this case it was the correct decision to reinstate Chepseba.

Latest odds

http://www.oddschecker.com/olympics/athletics/mens/1500m/winner

Kiprop obviously still the big favourite.

The Algerian has come down from 25/1 to 16/1 in most places

Willis 16/1

Centro 50/1

Nixon Chepseba has filed an appeal saying he was tripped, and the IAAF let him into the semi-final.

http://olympics.runnersworld.com/2012/mens-1500-meter/

rackatear wrote:

Willis hustles and moves runners around him.

Willis is a Sheep Dog.

I remember seeing Willis crash to the ground in a race in the NCAA. I seem to recall that it happened to him at some other point too.

How sexy are the luminous spikes that Nike has everyone wearing. At least half the guys in the 1500 must have been wearing them.

http://6.kicksonfire.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Distance_Group_Hero_13217.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/zzab8.png

Optional extras wrote:

This was my read of the situation as well he also impeded down the home straight

Correct decision in my opinion.

Nick Willis "tactics" in my opinion are disgraceful and go completely against the spirit of the sport.

The poster above knows nothing about racing, and everything about the spirit of running 24min 5k's with an ipod and carbo belt.

My read of the situation is that this is the Olympics. For those that don't know the Olympics is the pinnacle of competition - not the pinnacle of fairness. As the greats before would tell Nick, its do or die, beat or get beaten, within the rules and limits as dictated by the sport.

I agree that a degree of sportsmanship is critical to the importance of the Olympics, but not at the expense of fair competition and rightful tactical execution.

Willis is one of the classiest, savviest racers the sport has seen in a long time. This needs to be acknowledged and respected. The level of planning Nick applies to his racing and training is phenomenal and presently unmatched.

Nick's last two appearances prior to the Olympics were used to practise two different and contrasting forms of racing, all in preparation for the next week of competition. These races, against world class athletes, were used not to please his sponsors but to improve his tactical awareness only for an Olympic final. In Oregon Nick tried what he knew he was good at, testing his strength, sitting towards the back until 300m to go before testing his kick against the best kickers in the sport. The second race he tested his unknown endurance abilities on the chance a competitor takes out the final at a sustained fast pace, ala Filbert Bayi. Willis now goes into the Olympics with an acute awareness of not only his strength and limits, but also that of his competitors...not all finalists can say they have prepared the same.

As for the heat today, I am saddened and disappointed about the decision to reinstate Chepseba, not because I support Willis, but because this sets a dangerous precedent for our sport. In contrast to what others have suggested, I don't believe the fact that Chepseba is Kenyan has anything to do with why he was reinstated. Regardless it was a poor decision and one in conflict with the rules of the sport.

gasser wrote:

Centro runs with an amazingly cool head. Just doesn't get rattled. Knew exactly what place he was in and what was needed and glided right in there. Even avoided the Kenyan trip on the backstretch without incident. Solid, solid, running right there.

It's insane how lights out cool he is.

I've met him, and he has a great personality. I still would have thought that he a few years to go to show this confidence in racing...but man he's done well and even if he doesn't make the final or medal like last year, he's got a good future ahead of him.

I think in addition his running talent, he's got natural athletic talent...his move to go wide and get around the flailing Kenyan...was pure athleticism.

I <3 Tacos wrote:

Weekend at Romneys wrote:

Centro showing off his amazing tactical sense already.

Seriously racing is in this kids blood. I got a little nervous when Nixon got tripped up but centro came back like a mfing boss. Wheating needs to watch centro's races over and over again.

I think Wheating has been watching those races. He's just not as smooth a runner as Centro.

Wheating has mentioned in an interview between semi's and finals at OT's that he needed to stop running in lane 2 the whole race.

Yesterday he found himself towards the front and tried to run a Centro like race...you know, just take a position towards the front and run in lane one.

The problem is, he's trying to learn on the job a bit much here.

LRPD wrote:

How sexy are the luminous spikes that Nike has everyone wearing. At least half the guys in the 1500 must have been wearing them.

http://6.kicksonfire.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Distance_Group_Hero_13217.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/zzab8.png

That's some healthy spikish sexiness going on there track fetish wise.