WTF: Asbel Kiprop wants to run the 800, not 1500 at Worlds

Pro News/Info/Results Distance

8 years ago 07/29/2015 11:33am EDT

http://www.newsx.com/sports/7613-kenyan-athletes-not-to-double-up-in-beijing-worlds?

Some website wrote:
Kenya will be selecting its team for the Worlds on Friday. Okeyo said they aim to pick at least 60 athletes. Kenya sent a team of 49 to the 2013 championships in Moscow.
"I know an athlete like Kiprop, the 1,500m world champion, has indicated that he wants to run in 800m and not his traditional 1,500m. He has the qualification time in both, but it is good he remains in the four-lap and focuses on it, and if we see we have a weakness in 800m, then we can allow him to double," said Okeyo.
"But even that is dependent on the programme of events in Beijing. All these have to be looked into before one is allowed to double up."

Does anyone actually believe this? Perhaps it's just another example of poor reporting or management in Kenya. Maybe Kiprop just wants to run the 800 at KenyanTrials since he's got a bye to Worlds?

If he did double at Worlds, there is no overlap with the 1500 but the 3 rounds of the 800 are before the start of the 1500.

8 years ago 07/29/2015 11:54am EDT

re: internet surfer

Yes, its bad wording, but its pretty clear that report is that he will run the 800 at the trials in an effort to determine if he can double at worlds.

Imagine Rudisha and Kiprop in the 800m final.

8 years ago 07/29/2015 11:59am EDT

re: internet surfer

Well he already has the qualifier for the 1500 at Worlds as the defending world champion, so he probably wants to run the 800 at the trials in preparation.

8 years ago 07/29/2015 12:13pm EDT

re: internet surfer

Is he thinking about a world record shot this summer after world's? Might make sense to touch on that extra gear before you go for the record...

8 years ago 07/29/2015 12:18pm EDT

re: internet surfer

I am convinced this guy is on dope, but not the PED kind of dope

8 years ago 07/29/2015 12:20pm EDT

re: GORUN1600

GORUN1600 wrote:
Is he thinking about a world record shot this summer after world's? Might make sense to touch on that extra gear before you go for the record...

Logical, but would h touch on that gear in a championship race at altitude?

8 years ago 07/30/2015 10:44am EDT

re: internet surfer

Maybe he read how Ventolin predicted a 1:41 for him early season and now has him at 1:40ish, easy!! Haha

8 years ago 07/30/2015 11:21am EDT

re: internet surfer

He HAS attempted the double before. Was it 2009? He bombed in the semi, ran something like 1:52.

8 years ago 07/30/2015 11:31am EDT

re: internet surfer

Simple - he reads LetsRun and saw Ventolin's posts about him being in 1:40 shape.

8 years ago 07/30/2015 11:56am EDT

re: armchair internet surfer

If the 1500 was before the 800, no-brainer since the 800 seems a bit flimsy right now, but the other way round seems dicey.

But Asbel seems to like dicey, judging from his race in London.

8 years ago 07/30/2015 1:03pm EDT

re: internet surfer

http://www.flotrack.org/coverage/251948-Track-Season-on-FloTrack-2015/article/32680-Asbel-Kiprop-Winning-From-the-Front-or-the-Back-Targeting-Gold-in-Beijing#.Vbpjpfna98J

This article from today (containing an interview) makes it sound as if Kiprop was wanting to run the 800 at the Kenyan Trails, then think of doubling if he won, but apparently the Kenyan Federation won't even let him run the 800 at their trials?

All very odd ...

Kiprop did try to double in 2009, finishing dead-last in his semi of the 800. He says in the article he didn't want to double that year, but was made to ... and this year he possibly wants to.

In 2009 in his semi, he lead through the first 600 pretty much, got bumped a few times, then jogged it in the last 200. I remember watching it and thinking "wth is he doing?" as it seemed like he was giving up and slowing to a jog before any contact even.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSG-41fQxFs

Here is a video of his race in 2009. Starts just after 2:50.

Watching again, contact comes before he slows up, from Mulaudzi just before 600, then KD nearly runs him over ... Kiprop jogs it in after that.

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