800 WTF!?!

Only way Som makes the final is to trip up Kaki. Sounds like

falling is becoming the new strategy to advance w/ fresh legs.

I've never seen so many people trip and then get into the final via appeal as this championship. It's kind of strange -- wouldn't it lead to athletes abusing it by tripping to conserve energy and appealing into the final? Would Decker-Slaney had been able to appeal in 1984 had she finished the race? What's the precedent for this?

Anyways, go Symmonds, our Div III hero!

Why did the falling guy throw his head to his right, bringing down the guy behind him? It makes no sense unless he was trying to bring down other runners. As his left foot was sliding down the top of the rail, he jerks his head to the right. I see his right toe catch the track surfac in the same moment, but it still never looks like he was trying to recover.

1 741 Alfred Kirwa Yego [KENYA] KEN 1:45.22 1:43.89

2 233 Yusuf Saad Kamel [BAHRAIN] BRN 1:45.01 1:42.79

3 297 Yeimer López [CUBA] CUB 1:44.10 1:43.07

4 988 Yuriy Borzakovskiy [RUSSIA] RUS 1:43.58 1:42.47

5 810 Amine Laalou [MOROCCO] MAR 1:43.36 1:43.25

6 856 Bram Som [NETHERLANDS] NED 1:44.12 1:43.45

6 1232 Nick Symmonds [UNITED STATES] USA 1:43.83 1:43.83

7 732 Jackson Mumbwa Kivuva [KENYA] KEN 1:44.86 1:44.86

8 906 Marcin Lewandowski [POLAND] POL 1:43.84 1:43.84

8 969 Mbulaeni Mulaudzi [SOUTH AFRICA] RSA 1:44.81 1:42.89

Both Lewandowski and Som are in the final... Isn't there something about honest effort- how is DNF honest effort? At least Lewandowski finished, though it was a 2:01. Som didn't finish the race- how can he possibly get through?

Whatinthehell wrote:

Why did the falling guy throw his head to his right, bringing down the guy behind him? It makes no sense unless he was trying to bring down other runners. As his left foot was sliding down the top of the rail, he jerks his head to the right. I see his right toe catch the track surfac in the same moment, but it still never looks like he was trying to recover.

Kaki was really out of balance and tried to compensate but it didn't work.

Probably the dumbest post I've ever read on Letsrun, but then again, I've only been coming here for a couple of years. If you think he was in control at all you're delusional.

Whatinthehell wrote:

Why did the falling guy throw his head to his right, bringing down the guy behind him? It makes no sense unless he was trying to bring down other runners. As his left foot was sliding down the top of the rail, he jerks his head to the right. I see his right toe catch the track surfac in the same moment, but it still never looks like he was trying to recover.

This is stupid. Runners falling is part of the game. If it's deliberate tripping that's one thing but this was an accident. What if someone falls in the final and takes out a couple. Do they have extra gold medals for that case?