The Official Men's 1500m Thread

Men's 1500 Meters semifinals

3:15 PM ET

All three American runners--Leo Manzano, Matthew Centrowitz, and Andrew Wheating--barely scraped into the semifinals. But this is a new day, and as long as you're on the track you have a chance.

The first five in each of two heats plus the next two fastest will advance to Tuesday's final. Centro and Wheating have battled injury and aren't as prepared as they'd like to be.

All three runners, however, have the kind of late-race closing speed that is essential in this kind of racing.

Heat one has Manzano and Wheating, and they face off against gold medal co-favorite Asbel Kiprop of Kenya. In terms of times, the next most imposing figures are Algerian Taoufik Makhloufi and Ethiopian Mekonnen Gebremedhin, who have run 3:30 and 3:31 respectively this year. Also look out for Qatari Hamza Driouch and Aussie Ryan Gregson.

Centrowitz in on his own in the second heat to face the other gold medal co-favorite Silas Kiplagat of Kenya, along with his compatriate Nixon Kiplimo Chepseba, who was advanced on appeal after falling in his heat.

Ann Arbor-based Kiwi Nick Willis, the silver medalist four years ago, is in this heat as well and is running as well as he ever has. Other tough runners include Moroccan Abdalaati Iguider and Canadian Nate Brannen.

Brannen made it to the final four years ago after admittedly psyching himself out and barely getting any sleep at all; this time around he's better prepared mentally and is a more potent competitor than most observers realize.