Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 1500 metres

Men's 1500 metres
at the Games of the XXXI Olympiad
Men's 1500m winner Matthew Centrowitz
VenueOlympic Stadium
Dates16 August 2016 (heats)
18 August 2016 (semi-final)
20 August 2016 (final)
Winning time3:50.00
Medalists
 Matthew Centrowitz, Jr.  United States
 Taoufik Makhloufi  Algeria
 Nick Willis  New Zealand
Athletics at the
2016 Summer Olympics
List of athletes
Qualification
Track events
100 m   men   women
200 m men women
400 m men women
800 m men women
1500 m men women
5000 m men women
10,000 m men women
100 m hurdles women
110 m hurdles men
400 m hurdles men women
3000 m
steeplechase		 men women
4 × 100 m relay men women
4 × 400 m relay men women
Road events
Marathon men women
20 km walk men women
50 km walk men
Field events
Long jump men women
Triple jump men women
High jump men women
Pole vault men women
Shot put men women
Discus throw men women
Javelin throw men women
Hammer throw men women
Combined events
Heptathlon women
Decathlon men

The men's 1500 metres event at the 2016 Summer Olympics took place between 16–20 August at the Olympic Stadium.[1]

Summary

Asbel Kiprop entered as the highest ranked athlete of the year with his run of 3:29.33 minutes, and was the gold medallist at the 2008 Olympics and the previous three World Championships in Athletics. In his race immediately prior to the Olympics, however, he had been beaten by his compatriot Ronald Kwemoi and Elijah Motonei Manangoi (second and third in the seasonal rankings). The reigning Olympic champion from 2012, Taoufik Makhloufi of Algeria, was fourth on the world lists, but faced the challenge of also running the 800 m which overlapped on the programme. The next highest ranked runners, Abdalaati Iguider and Ayanleh Souleiman, also entered for doubles.[2][3]

In the first round the main protagonists progressed, although a notable elimination was reigning European champion Filip Ingebrigtsen, who was disqualified for impeding Charlie Grice and Homiyu Tesfaye (both runners were advanced as a result). İlham Tanui Özbilen of Turkey (a 2012 World Indoor medallist) was knocked out, having shown poor form that year. Jakub Holuša of the Czech Republic was fastest in the heats with 3:38.31 minutes, leading a race which saw ten men run under 3:40.[4]

Although the semi-finals produced slower times, heats leader Holuša was among those eliminated. Former European champion Henrik Ingebrigtsen and reigning African Games champion Mekonnen Gebremedhin also failed to make the final and Kenya's Elijah Manangoi did not start after suffering a hamstring injury. The two remaining Kenyans, Kiprop and Kwemoi won the two semi-final races.[5][6] American Robby Andrews initially made the grade, with his typical fast finish, but as he made his way on the inside, he initially tried to take open space between Gebremedhin and the rail, but Gebremedhin defended his position and Andrews had nowhere to go except inside the rail, where he executed the pass to get into the final qualifying spot. He was later disqualified for stepping off the track.[7]

Final

Off the start, nobody wanted the lead, the role was defaulted to Americans Matthew Centrowitz and Ben Blankenship sandwiching David Bustos. Kickers Asbel Kiprop, Taoufik Makhloufi and Ayanleh Souleiman went to the back. The first lap was 66.83, a virtual crawl for these athletes. During the second lap, Nick Willis drifted to the front to replace Blankenship next to Bustos and Centrowitz. On the homestretch, Kiprop moved out to lane 2 and loped up toward the front. Reacting, Ronald Kwemoi crashed to the track as Souleiman was drifting out to find some running room at the back of the pack and Kwemoi caught Souleiman's back kick. The pace was so slow, Kwemoi caught back up to the runners in less than 100 metres. The second lap was even slower in 69.76. Down the next backstretch, Kiprop moved aggressively to challenge Centrowitz at the front, but Centrowitz wouldn't let him by, holding his position on the curb. Behind him Willis and Blankenship were getting tangled up in a similar situation. Coming around the turn, Souleiman tried to pass again and was successful, taking the lead position on the home stretch. Instead of charging away, Souleiman slowed down. Centrowitz took the small gap next to the rail and squeezed through, deftly slipping his elbow and shoulder in front of Souleman. Just at the bell Makhloufi hit the front outside of Centrowitz. But on the penultimate turn Centrowitz would not let Makhloufi by holding the inside and the lead. Makhloufi fell in behind Centrowitz. Along the backstretch, Kiprop loped to the front again. Centrowitz held him off, making him run to the outside of the turn.[8] Behind Kiprop, then lining up beside him, Abdalaati Iguider, Kiprop and Makhloufi, behind them Willis and Souleman, all ready to pounce coming off the turn. Kiprop made his move, then began to tread water moving backwards instead of gaining, on the outside Makhloufi was gaining but was running out of real estate. Iguider was moving backward with Kiprop, Willis beat Souleman to the pounce and was chasing Makhloufi. Nobody passed Centrowitz as he kept his advantage all the way across the finish line. Makhloufi was a meter back for silver, Willis another meter back holding off a diving Souleman at the line for bronze.[9]

The winning time of 3:50.00 was the slowest since 1932. Centrowitz became the first American to win the event since Mel Sheppard in 1908. For over a century, the United States has sent their best to run the Olympic 1500; Kiviat, Cunningham, McMillen, Burleson, Ryun, Scott, even Lagat. Some have won medals, but none won gold.

The medals were presented by Nawal El Moutawakel, IOC member, Morocco and Sebastian Coe, President of the IAAF.

Records

Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.

World record  Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) 3:26.00 Rome, Italy 14 July 1998
Olympic record  Noah Ngeny (KEN) 3:32.07 Sydney, Australia 29 September 2000
Area
Time (s) Athlete Nation
Africa (records) 3:26.00 WR Hicham El Guerrouj  Morocco
Asia (records) 3:29.14 Rashid Ramzi  Bahrain
Europe (records) 3:28.81 Mo Farah  Great Britain
North, Central America
and Caribbean (records) 		3:29.30 Bernard Lagat  United States
Oceania (records) 3.29.66 Nick Willis  New Zealand
South America (records) 3:33.25 Hudson de Souza  Brazil

Results

Heats

Heat 1

Rank Athlete Nationality Time Notes
1 Asbel Kiprop Kenya 3:38.97 Q
2 Ryan Gregson Australia 3:39.13 Q
3 Ayanleh Souleiman Djibouti 3:39.25 Q
4 Chris O'Hare Great Britain 3:39.26 Q
5 Matthew Centrowitz United States 3:39.31 Q
6 Fouad Elkaam Morocco 3:39.51 Q
7 David Bustos Spain 3:39.73 q
8 Charles Philibert-Thiboutot Canada 3:40.04 q
9 Julian Matthews New Zealand 3:40.40
10 Florian Carvalho France 3:41.87
11 Thiago André Brazil 3:44.42
12 Santino Kenyi South Sudan 3:45.27
13 Saud Al-Zaabi United Arab Emirates 4:02.35
- Aman Wote Ethiopia DNS

Heat 2

Rank Athlete Nationality Time Notes
1 Taoufik Makhloufi Algeria 3:46.82 Q
2 Elijah Motonei Manangoi Kenya 3:46.83 Q
3 Robby Andrews United States 3:46.97 Q
4 Nathan Brannen Canada 3:47.07 Q
5 Mekonnen Gebremedhin Ethiopia 3:47.33 Q
6 Brahim Kaazouzi Morocco 3:47.39 Q
7 Homiyu Tesfaye Germany 3:47.44 q
8 Hamish Carson New Zealand 3:48.18
9 Adel Mechaal Spain 3:48.41
10 Charlie Grice Great Britain 3:48.51 q
11 Paulo Lokoro Refugee Olympic Team 4:03.96
12 Augusto Soares Timor-Leste 4:11.35 PB
– Abdi Waiss Mouhyadin Djibouti DNF
– Filip Ingebrigtsen Norway DQ R163.2

Heat 3

Rank Athlete Nationality Time Notes
1 Jakub Holusa Czech Republic 3:38.31 Q
2 Ronald Kwemoi Kenya 3:38.33 Q
3 Abdalaati Iguider Morocco 3:38.40 Q
4 Ronald Musagala Uganda 3:38.45 Q
5 Henrik Ingebrigtsen Norway 3:38.50 Q
6 Nicholas Willis New Zealand 3:38.55 Q
7 Benson Kiplagat Seurei Bahrain 3:38.82 q
8 Pieter-Jan Hannes Belgium 3:38.89 q
9 Ben Blankenship United States 3:38.92 q
10 Dawit Wolde Ethiopia 3:39.29 q
11 Salim Keddar Algeria 3:40.63
12 Luke Mathews Australia 3:44.51
13 Ilham Tanui Ozbilen Turkey 3:49.02
14 Mohammed Rageh Yemen 3:58.99
15 Erick Rodriguez Nicaragua 4:00.30

Semifinals

Semifinal 1

Rank Athlete Nationality Time Notes
1 Asbel Kiprop Kenya 3:39.73 Q
2 Taoufik Makhloufi Algeria 3:39.88 Q
3 Nicholas Willis New Zealand 3:39.96 Q
4 Ben Blankenship United States 3:39.99 Q
5 Charlie Grice Great Britain 3:40.05 Q
6 Abdalaati Iguider Morocco 3:40.11 q
7 Nathan Brannen Canada 3:40.20 q
8 Benson Kiplagat Seurei Bahrain 3:40.53
9 Jakub Holusa Czech Republic 3:40.83
10 Dawit Wolde Ethiopia 3:41.42
11 Henrik Ingebrigtsen Norway 3:42.51
12 Pieter-Jan Hannes Belgium 3:43.71
13 Brahim Kaazouzi Morocco 3:48.66

Semifinal 2

Rank Athlete Nationality Time Notes
1 Ronald Kwemoi Kenya 3:39.42 Q
2 Ayanleh Souleiman Djibouti 3:39.46 Q
3 Matthew Centrowitz United States 3:39.61 Q
4 Ryan Gregson Australia 3:40.02 Q
5 Ronald Musagala Uganda 3:40.37 Q
6 Mekonnen Gebremedhin Ethiopia 3:40.69
7 Homiyu Tesfaye Germany 3:40.76
8 Charles Philibert-Thiboutot Canada 3:40.79
9 Fouad Elkaam Morocco 3:40.93
10 Chris O'Hare Great Britain 3:44.27
11 David Bustos Spain 3:56.54 q[lower-alpha 1]
– Robby Andrews United States DQ R163.4[11]
– Elijah Manangoi Kenya DNS

Final

Rank Name Nationality Time Notes
1st, gold medalist(s) Matthew Centrowitz, Jr. United States 3:50.00
2nd, silver medalist(s) Taoufik Makhloufi Algeria 3:50.11
3rd, bronze medalist(s) Nick Willis New Zealand 3:50.24
4 Ayanleh Souleiman Djibouti 3:50.29
5 Abdalaati Iguider Morocco 3:50.58
6 Asbel Kiprop Kenya 3:50.87
7 David Bustos Spain 3:51.06
8 Ben Blankenship United States 3:51.09
9 Ryan Gregson Australia 3:51.39
10 Nathan Brannen Canada 3:51.45
11 Ronald Musagala Uganda 3:51.68
12 Charlie Grice Great Britain 3:51.73
13 Ronald Kwemoi Kenya 3:56.76

Notes

  1. ↑ Bustos was given a place in the final after the video referee deemed he had been impeded by another competitor, by rule 163.2a.[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Men's 1500m". Rio 2016 Organisation. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  2. ↑ Minshull, Phil (2016-08-09). Preview: men's 1500m – Rio 2016 Olympic Games. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-08-13.
  3. ↑ senior outdoor 2016 1500 Metres men. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-08-13.
  4. ↑ Minshull, Phil (2016-08-16). Report: men's 1500m heats – Rio 2016 Olympic Games. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-08-20.
  5. ↑ Waweru, Titus (2016-08-18). Kenya suffers blow as Elijah Manangoi sustains injury. Kenya Standard. Retrieved on 2016-08-20.
  6. ↑ Minshull, Phil (2016-08-19). Report: men's 1500m semi-finals – Rio 2016 Olympic Games. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-08-20.
  7. ↑ Giannotto, Mark (2016-08-19). University of Virginia’s Robby Andrews disqualified from men’s 1,500-meter race. Washington Post. Retrieved on 2016-08-20.
  8. ↑ "Matthew Centrowitz ends U.S. drought in men's 1,500 meters". ESPN. 20 August 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  9. ↑ "Matt Centrowitz Wins First Gold in 1,500 Meters for U.S. Since 1908". New York Times. 20 August 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  10. ↑ "Athletics – Men's 1500m – Semifinals – Results" (PDF). Rio 2016. 18 August 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  11. ↑ https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/olympic-games/the-xxxi-olympic-games-5771/results/men/1500-metres/semi-final/summary#resultheader
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