The 2019 African Games 800m fourth place finisher Abel Kipsang set a new Olympic record as he raced to the final of the 1,500m in Tokyo, Japan on Thursday, August 5th, 2021.
Kipsang who raced in the second heat of the semi-finals broke off from the rest in the last 100m to set the new Olympic record in 3:31.65.
The old record of 3:32.07 was set by another Kenyan Noah Ngeny when he won the gold medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.
Double European gold medallist Norwegian Jakob Ingrebrigsten finished second in 3:32.13 as the 2015 European Junior champion Great Britain’s Josh Kerr came home third in 3:32.18
In the first semi finals, World champion Timothy Cheruiyot finished third in his heat posting 3:33.95. Charles Simotwo missed out a place in the final after finishing sixth in 3:34.61.
The 2013 European Junior champion Great Britain’s Jake Wightman took top honours in the heat by registering 3:33.48 as NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in USA Cole Hocker of the USA took the second position in 3:33.87.
Australia’s national 1500m national Indoor record holder Oliver Hoare came home fourth in 3:34.35 and European Under 23 gold medallist Ignacio Fontes of Spain clinched the final qualifying spot in 3:34.49
Meanwhile, World champion Timothy Cheruiyot who ran in the first heat of the semi-finals also qualified for the final set for Saturday.
Cheruiyot who controlled the race from the gun to the bell finished in third place with the top five finishers, to secure a place in the final.
World champion Timothy Cheruiyot who ran in the first heat of the semi-finals also qualified for the final set for Saturday.
Cheruiyot who controlled the race from the gun to the bell finished in third place with the top five finishers, to secure a place in the final.
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