ok lets start with 1999 and go to 2015 of the World Champs
championship record by el G in 3:27
USA, one guy made the final, got 9th place of 12 runners, steve holman 3:34.32
2001
El G wins again, 3:30.68
USA, 10th Paul McMullen 3:39.35
2003
El G, 3:31.77
USA had Jason lun run 3:47 to make it to semis, where he ran 3:41 and not make the final
2005
rashid ramzi 3:37.88
USA, 9th alan webb 3:41.04
2007
lagat 3:34.77
next american, 8th alan webb, 3:35.69
2009
Yusuf Saad Kamel 3:35.93
USA 3rd Lagat, 3:36.20
8th Lopez Lomong 3:37.62
12th Leo Manzano 3:40.05
2011
Kiprop 3:35.69
USA 3rd Centro 3:36.08
2013
Kiprop 3:36.28
USA 2nd Centro 3:36.78
2015
Kiprop 3:34.40
USA 8th Centro 3:36.13
10th Leo 3:37.26
11th Robby Andrews 3:338.29
yes the closer the time is to 3:40 the better centro and others have at making the top 3, you can count in lagat all you want but its not like he was raised in the USA like all the others, he is a kenyan transplant. its like david torrence getting the records for Peru and he isnt a born and raised Peruvian.
other interesting note on the times once el g retired have gone back to 3:34-35, besides morceli's 1991
winning times
1983: 3:41.59 (note steve scott 2nd, .3 away)
1987 3:36.80 (Jim spivey 3rd, 3:38.82)
1991 3:32.84 (no americans in the final, maybe first real year of 1500 EPO use)
1993 3:34.24 (jim spivey 5th 3:37.42)
1995 3:33.73 (paul mcmullan 10th 3:38.23)
1997 3:35.83 (no americans in the final)