Matthew Centrowitz running in his semi final of the men's 1,500 metres in Beijing.
He was 4th in that race (3:43.97) and 8th in the final two days later. All of the finalist
ran sub 3.38 times. The photo below is of Mathew leading the final in Beijing.
2015 World Championships.
Men's 1,500 metres final.
1.
|
Asbel
|
KIPROP |
KEN |
3:34.40 |
2.
|
Elijah Motonei
|
MANANGOI |
KEN |
3:34.63 |
| 3. |
Abdalaati
|
IGUIDER |
MAR |
3:34.67 |
| 4. |
Taoufik
|
MAKHLOUFI |
ALG |
3:34.76 |
| 5. |
Silas
|
KIPLAGAT |
KEN |
3:34.81
|
| 6. |
Nick
|
WILLIS |
NZL |
3:35.46 |
| 7. |
Timothy
|
CHERUIYOT |
KEN |
3:36.05 |
| 8. |
Matthew
|
CENTROWITZ |
USA |
3:36.13 |
One year later most of the runners seen above contested the Olympic final in Rio. In March of that year Matthew won the 1,500m
at the World Indoor Championships, in his native U.S.A. His first gold medal since winning the 2007 Pan American Junior Championships
in Brazil (not Rio) nearly a decade earlier. Perhaps the omens were good. As the figures below show they were indeed good.
But not the times !
2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Men's 1,500 metres final.
| 1. |
Matthew Centrowitz, Jr. |
United States |
3:50.00 |
| 2. |
Taoufik Makhloufi |
Algeria |
3:50.11 |
| 3. |
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 |
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.
Only five finalist (there were thirteen) failed to beat 3:40 in their semi final - ten seconds
faster than Matthew's winning time !
Earlier in the evening Mo Farah won the 5,000 metres.
Mo's best time for the 1,500 metres. 3:28.81. Need one say more ?