Shanghai DL Men’s Preview: Makhloufi Drops to 800 Against Sowinski, Mulder and Johnson and The World’s 4 Fastest 5000 Men From 2013 Will Battle
by LetsRun.com
May 17, 2014
The first Diamond League meeting of the year in Doha was truly spectacular across the board and especially in the mid-d and distance events. Top stars didn’t avoid each other, incredible times were put up in the men’s 1500 and women’s 3000, and there was a thrilling finish in the marquee matchup of the night (Amos versus Aman at 800). Plus there was a raucous crowd. It was one of the best track meets we’ve seen in ages.
We highly doubt Shanghai will be able to top Doha overall but it will be fun nonetheless. Get up early Sunday morning to watch it live (8 am ET) (or watch on deman) as the marquee mid-d matchup features an American – Jenny Simpson versus Abebe Aregawi at 1500. The women’s mid-d/distance vents are previewed here. Below we preview the two men’s mid-d and distance events – the men’s 800 and men’s 5000.
The IAAF preview of the full meet is now finally out.
Men’s 800: Mo Aman Looks For Win #17 In A Row, Makhloufi Steps Down to 800 as Americans Brandon Johnson, Tyler Mulder and Eric Sowinski Look To Regain Their Form
Makhloufi Has Shown Speed
In Doha, Mo Aman had to give it everything he had to get the win in the men’s 800 over Olympic silver medallist Nijel Amos but win he did. That’s now 16 800s in a row for Aman.
Given that Amos isn’t in Shanghai, nor are the top Kenyans from Doha (we assume the Kenyans are getting ready for World Relays), we think Amqn will have an easier time extending his win streak to 17 in a row in Shanghai.
He won’t get #17 in Doha, as the start lists have been updated an Aman is not running. Olympic 1500 champ Taoufik Makhloufi who ran a 3:30.40 1500m pr to open the DL season in Doha has replaced Aman. Makhloufi is a very good 800m runner with a 1:43.71 personal best and originally was attempting to do the 800/1500 double in London. He has to be amongst the favorites here.
The field includes three Americans who are trying to rebound from disappointing showings in their last races – Brandon Johnson, Tyler Mulder and Eric Sowinski.
Sowinski believe it or not has the fastest season’s best (1:44.58) of anyone in the field. Sowinski only ran 1:46.38 in Tokyo in a 1:45.7 race after running a pb at Mt. Sac. This is the perfect opportunity to bounce back and make an impact on a level he never has before. Johnson is trying to rebound from a last-place showing in Doha (1:47.59) and a 1:47.37 showing two days later in Tokyo. The 1:47.37 was actually a season’s best for Johnson. Johnson needs to run well here or he’ll likely end up as the alternate on the World Relays team. Mulder ran 1:48.76 and was beaten easily at the Oregon Twilight meet by Harun Adba and Cas Loxsom.
A guy likely to challenge Makhloufi is 2011 and 2013 Worlds Fourth placer Marcin Lewandowski who races for the first time outdoors after temporarily earning a bronze medal in front of the hometown fans at World Indoors, only to lose it for a curb violation DQ.
The one is wide open and a great opportunity for the three overlooked Americans to make a name for themselves.
| Athlete | DOB | Nat. | PB | SB | Comment |
| Makhloufi, Taoufik | 29.04.1988 | ALG | 1:43.71 | Makhloufi is back. He ran a 1500 pr of 3:30.40 in Doha and has run 1:43.71. | |
| BIWOTT Robert | 28.01.1996 | KEN | 1:46.98 | At 17 last year, won World Youth 1500 gold in 3:36.77. | |
| JOHNSON Brandon | 02.03.1985 | USA | 1:43.84 | 1:47.37 | Former 400H man had great 2012 as his PR was just 1:46.23 coming into year. Awful in Doha though – 1:47.59 DFL. |
| LEWANDOWSKI Marcin | 13.06.1987 | POL | 1:43.79 | 4th at 201 and 13 Worlds, finally won a medal in front of raucous home crowd at World indoors, only to lose it to a DQ for a curb violation. | |
| MULDER Tyler | 15.02.1987 | USA | 1:44.34 | 1:48.76 | 2008 NCAA champ, who was 5th in US in 2012 and 20113, was beaten convincingly at Oregon Twilight by Harun Abda and Cas Loxsom last week. |
| MUSAGALA Ronald | 16.12.1992 | UGA | 1:45.71 | 1:47.25 | Few knew of this now 21-year old before Moscow last year where he got 3rd in his semi. Also has 3:38 1500 pb. |
| MUTAI Jeremiah Kipkorir | 27.12.1992 | KEN | 1:43.9h | 1:45.30 | Was 5th in Doha. Former 400H specialist ran 1:47.41 indoors and went out in heats at Worlds |
| OLIVIER Andre | 29.12.1989 | RSA | 1:44.29 | 1:45.39 | Ran 1:44.99 in 1st indoor race ever this year, then got 4th at Worlds. 7th in Doha. |
| ROTICH Abraham Kipchirchir | 26.06.1993 | BRN | 1:43.13 | Just 20. Former Kenyan ran 1:43.13 in 2012, 1:44:57 in 2013 and 1:46.48 indoors this year. | |
| SOM Bram | 20.02.1980 | NED | 1:43.45 | 34-year-old is pacer. | |
| SOWINSKI Erik | 21.12.1989 | USA | 1:44.58 | 1:44.58 | Already ran pb this year for 2nd at Mt. Sac but then only 1:46 for 3rd in Tokyo last week. |
| TENG Haining | 25.06.1993 | CHN | 1:46.56 | Chinese NJR holder also has 3:42.05 pb. |
Men’s 5000: The World’s Four Fastest Men From 2013 Will Battle
Hagos Gebrhiwet
The world’s four fastest men and five of the seven men who broke 13:00 last year will face off in the first Diamond League men’s 5000 of the year.
2013 Men’s 5000 List (Bold = Running in Shanghai)
1 12:51.3 Edwin Soi KEN Monaco
2 12:52.0 Albert Rop BRN Monaco
3 12:55.0 Yenew Alamirew ETH Roma
4 12:55.7 Hagos Gebrhiwet ETH Roma
5 12:56.1 Isiah Koech KEN Monaco
6 12:59.0 Bernard Lagat USA Bruxelles
7 12:59.8 Thomas Longosiwa KEN Monaco
Of those men, only one of them won a medal in 2012 – silver medallist Hagos Gebrhiwet. However, he’s far from a lock for victory as was only fifth at World Indoors.
Bahrain’s Alberto Rop, who couldn’t compete at Worlds in Moscow or indoors in Poland due to him switching countries, is a guy who is a real threat for victory,
The full field of 19 guys – 17 who were born in Africa – appear below.
| Athlete | DOB | Nation | PB/SB | Comment |
| ADEM Abrar Osman | 01.01.1994 | ERI | 13:17.32 | Eritrean national junior record holder only ran 13:20 sb in 2013. |
| ALAMIREW Yenew | 27.05.1990 | ETH | 12:48.77/13:49.92 | Finallist in 2012 and 2013. 3rd fastest man in 2013. |
| AYALEW Aweke | 23.02.1993 | BRN | 13:05.00 | Former Ethiopian was just 50th at World Half in 63:01. |
| BOUQANTAR Soufiyan | 30.08.1993 | MAR | 13:19.59 | 20-year old ran 7:52.64 for 3k last week. Has MAR’s national junior record. |
| GEBRHIWET Hagos | 11.05.1994 | ETH | 12:47.53 | 12:47 in 2012, 12:55 last year. World silver last year as well. 5th indoors in 3k. |
| KANGOGO Cornelius | 15.12.1993 | KEN | 13:15.26 | 20-year old was 4th in Kenyan xc champs thsi year. |
| KAYA Ali | 20.04.1994 | TUR | 13:31.39 | Former Kenyan was European jr champ in 5k and 10k in 2013. |
| KIPKOECH John | 29.12.1991 | KEN | 12:49.50 | World jr silver medallist picked up some cash by getting 5th at World’s best 10k in Feb and running 61:38 for 13.1 in March. Didn’t break 13:0 last year. |
| LEGESSE Birhanu | 01.01.1993 | ETH | 13:15.32 | 3:44 1500 in january. |
| LETOYIE Moses Mukono | 27.11.1995 | KEN | 13:37.4h | 18 yr old won African jr 5k last year and xc this year. |
| LONGOSIWA Thomas Pkemei | 14.01.1988 | KEN | 12:49.04 | Olympic bronze in 2012, 4th in 2013, Ran 28:18 road 10k (2nd on April 21st). Kangogo won in 28:15. |
| NDIKU Jonathan Muia | 18.09.1991 | KEN | 13:11.99/13:21.55 | 2-time world junior champ in steeple (2009 and 2010), |
| ROBERTSON Zane | 14.11.1989 | NZL | 13:13.83 | 7:44 3k indoors to make finals where he was 12th., 13:13 was run last year. Brother only ran 14:20 at Oxy. |
| RONO Geoffrey Kipkoech | 21.04.1987 | KEN | 3:32 1500 runner in 2008. | |
| RONO Vincent | 01.01.1982 | KEN | 13:21.96 | NCAA 1500 champ in 2006. |
| ROP Albert | 20.12.1994 | BRN | 12:51.96 | Runner-up in Monaco last year, 7:38 3k indoors for 3k. |
| SOI Edwin Cheruiyot | 03.03.1986 | KEN | 12:51.34 | 2008 Olympic bronze medallist was WLeader in 2013 and 5th at Worlds. Recently beaten by Kangogo and Longosiw by 20+ on April 21st in road 10k. |
| TAHRI Bouabdellah | 20.12.1978 | FRA | 13:12.29 | 2009 WC bronze medallist in steeple, ran 2:18 at 2013 NYC marathon, has 13:11 indoor pb but is 35 now. |
| TOROITICH Timothy | 10.10.1991 | UGA | 13:32.21 |
*Watch Live or on Demand Sunday: Sunday’s meet is at 8am eastern/5 am pacific. *Start lists/schedule here.
You can watch it live on Universal Sports in the United States. There is now a way to watch Universal Sports and some other sport and international news channels on your computer, iphone/ipad, android devoice, or roku for $10/ a month via DishWorld without a cable subscription. 48 hour free trial if you want to test it out. More info here.