LRC: Many Medal Contenders - Previews of Men's 800m and 5,000m
by: John Kellogg
August 19, 2008
Welcome to the latest installment in our series of Olympic Track and Field previews. We give you extensive overviews of upcoming distance events, occasionally followed by briefer looks at other events of interest. Following each event preview is a descending order list of the principal contenders and the American entrants, their best marks and their results in individual events in Olympic Games and World Championships. More installments will follow as start lists are determined.
Men's 800m: Challengers New and Old Test King Yuriy
Wednesday, August 20, 7:00 AM (East Coast Time)
Overview
The men's 800m features perhaps the strongest and deepest
list of contenders of any track event at the Games. At least eight
athletes will be thought to have had a disappointing showing if they
fail to bring home a medal. A sub-1:44 runner could have a strong
semifinal race and not advance - that is how good this field is. Two of
the biggest favorites are as different in their strategies as they are
in championship experience. The wunderkind Abubaker Kaki,
a frontrunner, has only appeared in two Worlds at the senior level, but
made his last one count in a big way, winning the gold medal at this
year's World Indoors in March. He also added a victory at the World
Juniors in July. The cagey veteran Yuriy Borzakovskiy,
by contrast, is well-known for his tactic of dropping to the very back
for much of the race and charging past the rigging field in the final
straight. The Russian has seven global championship appearances on his
brag sheet and owns medals from six of them, including the most coveted
prize of all, an Olympic gold medal from Athens in 2004. Borzakovskiy's
task of defending his Olympic title is particularly difficult; not only
does he have to face some of the stiffest competition in history, but
back-to-back Olympic golds in this event are exceedingly rare. It has
been 44 years since Peter Snell was the last man to accomplish the feat.
Kaki has been on fire in 2008, winning the World Indoors and running
yearly leaders in both the 800m and the 1,000m, the latter performance
resulting in a victory over chief rivals Yusuf Kamel
and Borzakovskiy and moving Kaki to 6th all-time in the event (with a
world junior record to boot). Kamel, the son of 2-time World 800m
Champion Billy Konchellah, has run sub-1:44 every
year from 2004 through 2008, topped by a PR 1:42.79 in Monaco this
July, where he lost to Borzakovskiy by thousandths. The Bahraini also
comes in with the experience of five global championship appearances
under his belt, including the 2004 Olympics, and has moved up the ranks
in each of them to claim the bronze at this year's World Indoors.
While Kaki and Borzakovskiy lead the 2008 list and
exemplify the youth versus experience theme, the field as a whole
contains numerous old hands who have been fixtures in global
championships since (and before) the last Olympics, as well as a few
talented fresh faces who will be making their first Olympic 800m
appearances. Leading the veterans are South African Mbulaeni Mulaudzi and Kenyan Wilfred Bungei,
who are even older than Borzakovskiy and nearly as decorated, although
neither has claimed the top prize, an Olympic gold. Both have run
faster than 1:43, with Bungei sporting the fastest personal best in the
field, a 1:42.34 to rank 5th all-time. In fact, Bungei recorded
sub-1:43 clockings in 2001, 2002 and 2003 and followed with sub-1:44s
in each of the next three years. Canada's Gary Reed
has participated in four global championships since 2003 and, like
Kamel, has finished higher in each one. The recent Canadian record
setter (1:43.68) came up for the surprise silver medal in last year's
Worlds and won't be under anyone's radar this time.
Among the young guns making their Olympic debuts is Alfred Yego
of Kenya, who was the World Champion in Osaka last year in a slow race.
Make no mistake, though; Yego can run fast if needed. He boasts a PR of
1:43.89 and won at the Prefontaine Classic this year in 1:44.01. Other
Olympic first-timers include Uganda's Abraham Chepkirwok and Boaz Lalang
of Kenya. Chepkirwok just missed a medal in the frantic finish in Osaka
last year and brings a 1:43.72 best into the Games. Lalang has no
experience at the top level but has the raw tools to be great. A
relative newcomer to the track scene, the 19-year-old Rend Lake College
standout has already run 1:44.68 and 3:37.62. Cuban Yeimar López
reached the semifinals in the 400m in Athens and will face the world's
best in the 800m on the Olympic stage for the first time. López comes in with a 1:43.07 best, which puts him 4th in the world in an exceptionally fast year.
The American squad is full of promise but untested among the luminaries
they will face in Beijing, and their first Olympic appearances leave US
fans wondering what might be in store. Can up-and-coming Nick Symmonds
make the final as he did in the World Indoors and marshal a real run at
a medal in this crack field? Can the green but enormously talented Andrew Wheating continue his meteoric improvement and make some noise in his first global appearance? Can Christian Smith rise up to the world level with another heroic race?
Picks
1.) Kaki 2.) Borzakovskiy 3.) Kamel
Major Contenders
Abubaker Kaki (Sudan) 2008 Best: 1:42.69 (world junior record) Global Championship Highlights:
2008 World Indoor Champion, eliminated in first round of 2007 World Championships
Yuriy Borzakovskiy (Russia) 2008 Best: 1:42.79 Lifetime Best: 1:42.47 (#6 all-time) (2001) Global Championship Highlights:
2004 Olympic Champion, 2001 World Indoor Champion, silver medals in 2003 and 2005
World Championships, bronze medal in 2007 World Championships, bronze
medal in 2006 World Indoors
Yusuf Kamel (Bahrain) 2008 Best: 1:42.79 Global Championship Highlights:
Bronze medal in 2008 World Indoors, semifinalist in 2004 World Indoors,
semifinalist in 2005 and 2007 World Championships, eliminated in first
round of 2004 Olympics
Yeimar López (Cuba) 2008 Best: 1:43.07 Global Championship Highlights:
Eliminated in first rounds of 2005 and 2007 World Championships,
semifinalist in 400m in 2003 World Championships and 2004 Olympics
Mbulaeni Mulaudzi (South Africa) 2008 Best: 1:43.26 Lifetime Best: 1:42.89 (2003) Global Championship Highlights:
2004 World Indoor Champion, silver medal in 2004 Olympics, silver
medals in 2005 and 2008 World Indoors, bronze medal in 2003 World
Championships, 6th in 2001 World Championships, 7th in 2007 World
Championships, semifinalist in 2005 World Championships
Abraham Chepkirwok (Uganda) 2008 Best: 1:43.72 Global Championship Highlights: 4th in 2007 World Championships
Gary Reed (Canada) 2008 Best: 1:43.68 Global Championship Highlights:
Silver medal in 2007 World Championships, 8th in 2005 World
Championships, semifinalist in 2004 Olympics, eliminated in first round
of 2003 World Championships
Alfred Yego (Kenya) 2008 Best: 1:44.01 Lifetime Best: 1:43.89 (2006) Global Championship Highlights: 2007 World Champion, eliminated in first round of 2005 World Championships
Nick Symmonds (USA) 2008 Best: 1:44.10 Global Championship Highlights: 6th in 2008 World Indoors, semifinalist in 2007 World Championships
Amine Laalou (Morocco) 2008 Best: 1:44.27 Lifetime Best: 1:43.25 (2006) Global Championship Highlights: 4th in 2004 World Indoors, semifinalist in 2004 Olympics
Ismael Ismael (Sudan) 2008 Best: 1:44.34 Global Championship Highlights: 8th in 2004 Olympics, eliminated in first round of 2003 World Championships
Boaz Lalang (Kenya) 2008 Best: 1:44.68 Global Championship Highlights: No prior appearances
Andrew Wheating (USA) 2008 Best: 1:45.03 Global Championship Highlights: No prior appearances
Wilfred Bungei (Kenya) 2008 Best: 1:45.08 (5,450 ft. altitude) Lifetime Best: 1:42.34 (#5 all-time) (2002) Global Championship Highlights:
2006
World Indoor Champion, silver medal in 2001 World Championships, bronze
medal in 2003 World Indoors, 4th in 2005 World Championships, 5th in
2004 Olympics and 2007 World
Championships
Christian Smith (USA) 2008 Best: 1:45.47 Lifetime Best: 1:44.86 (2006) Global Championship Highlights: No prior appearances
Men's 5,000m: Medal Race Wide Open
Wednesday, August 20, 8:15 AM (East Coast Time)
Overview
World record holder Kenenisa Bekele
recently secured his second consecutive 10,000m gold medal in an
Olympic record time, using the awesome final lap the rest of the
distance running world dreads. The smart money is on Bekele to grab a
medal here as well, as he has never finished in a lower place in a
global championship track race of any distance than his 3rd in the 2003
Worlds 5k. Conversely, Bekele has never won a 5,000m gold medal in a
major championship, perhaps because he has attempted the difficult
10k/5k double or perhaps because the nature of the 5k final often plays
to the strengths of other runners. The double has not been accomplished
in Olympic competition since Miruts Yifter performed
the feat at the Moscow Games in 1980, so over a quarter-century of
history is not on Bekele's side. Nonetheless, the Ethiopian is the most
prolific gold medal winner in the field by a large margin and is the
undisputed number one distance runner in the world today, so he should
be considered the favorite, albeit by a much smaller margin than he was
prior to the 10,000m.
Picking the other
medal winners is truly a dice roll as any number of athletes could find
themselves in the money given a sizzling tempo and (with a bit of
overlap) another several runners are going to be liking their chances
if the tempo dawdles. A piddling pace in the Osaka 5,000m final was an
ideal setup for the brilliant kicker Bernard Lagat,
who won the gold with a perfectly-timed flourish of finishing speed.
Despite Lagat's disappointing failure to reach the 1,500m final in
Beijing, the runners in the Olympic 5,000m field will respect him if he
is in striking position and will no doubt look for pacing tactics to
neutralize the World Champion's fearful finishing drive. The other
1,500m specialist who may worry the seasoned 5k competitors is Rashid Ramzi,
the
new Olympic 1,500m Champion and double World Champion from 2005. Not
only has Ramzi never contested a championship 5,000m, he
has only run the distance once in competition, a 13:10.72 win at a
rather low-key affair in Tangier. His lack of championship 5,000m
experience notwithstanding, no one would count out Ramzi off a slow
pace and his ability to handle a sub-13:00 tempo is a mystery. The Bahraini has only one other pre-Olympic outing this season, a
second-place finish behind Lagat in the 2-mile at the Prefontaine
Classic. Despite such sparse racing, the 1,500m results clearly show
Ramzi has done what it took to get ready for the Olympics.
As is the norm in major championships,
runners from Ethiopia and Kenya should figure prominently in the
proceedings. Including Kenenisa Bekele, younger brother Tariku Bekele and Abreham Cherkos give the Ethiopians three of the top four performers among the entrants, with Tariku leading the list at 12:52.45. The younger Bekele has of course remained in the long shadow of his brother, but is a great championship runner in his own right, with 3,000m gold medals from two World Indoors, including the coveted victory at this year's edition. Cherkos grabbed the bronze in that race.
The Kenyan trio will be formidable as usual. In addition to ranking 4th on the all-time performer list at 12:46.53, Eliud Kipchoge
owns a full set of major outdoor championship medals, his gold coming at the
2003 Worlds in Paris. Not only does Kipchoge possess a wicked kick; he
has an incredible kick even off a fast pace, which puts him in that
"overlap" category of runners who are medal probables in any type of
race. Kenya's depth is so great that Isaac Songok, who ranks #6 all-time with a 12:48.66 career best, was an alternate and is not scheduled to start. Joining Kipchoge, the Kenyan charge will be taken up by Thomas Longosiwa and Edwin Soi, who are short on championship experience but long on ability, with PRs of 12:51.95 and 12:52.40.
Uganda's Moses Kipsiro, like Kipchoge, can stick with any tempo and can sprint with the best. His 2008 best of 12:54.70 and career best of 12:50.72 demonstrate his talent and fitness, while his bronze medal finish off the funereal pace in the 2007 Worlds is a testament to his closing speed. The Ugandan has the #2 seasonal best on the list of entrants.
Australia's Craig Mottram made big waves when he took the bronze amid a sea of Africans at the 2005 Worlds and is usually in the thick of things on the European circuit and in championships. The second-fastest of all time at 5,000m among non-African-born runners (12:55.76), Mottram also owns bests of 3:48.98 for the mile, 4:50.76 for 2,000m and 8:03.50 for two miles and is outspoken concerning his fearlessness versus the mighty African distance runners.
Mo Farah of Great Britain came close in the wild scramble for medals in Osaka and believes he can hang tough and be there in the sprint, as does American Matt Tegenkamp, who was even closer to the medals last year than Farah. The American delivered a surprising 4th-place showing to put his name in the hat for the Olympics.
Picks
1.) K. Bekele 2.) Kipchoge 3.) Kipsiro
Major Contenders
Tariku Bekele (Ethiopia) 2008 Best: 12:52.45 Global Championship Highlights: 5th in 2007 World Championships, 7th in 2005 World Championships, 2006 and 2008 World Indoors 3,000m Champion
Moses Kipsiro (Uganda) 2008 Best: 12:54.70 Lifetime Best: 12:50.72 (2007) Global Championship Highlights: Bronze medal in 2007 World Championships
Abreham Cherkos (Ethiopia) 2008 Best: 12:57.56 Lifetime Best: 12:54.19 (2006) Global Championship Highlights: 8th in 2007 World Championships, bronze medal in 3,000m in 2008 World Indoors
Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) 2008 Best: 12:58.94 Lifetime Best: 12:37.35 (world record) (2004) Global Championship Highlights:
Silver medal in 2004 Olympics, bronze medal in 2003 World Championships,
five gold medals in global 10,000m championships, 6-time
World Cross-Country long course Champion
Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) 2008 Best: 13:02.06 Lifetime Best: 12:46.53 (#4 all-time) (2004) Global Championship Highlights: 2003 World Champion, silver medal in 2007 Worlds, bronze medal in 2004 Olympics, 4th in 2005 World Championships
Mourad Marofit (Morocco) 2008 Best: 13:02.84 Lifetime Best: 13:02.84 Global Championship Highlights: Eliminated in first round of 2007 World Championships
Rashid Ramzi (Bahrain) 2008 Best: 13:10.72 Global Championship Highlights:
No prior global championship appearances at 5,000m, 2008 Olympic 1,500m Champion, 2005 800m and
1,500m World Champion, silver medal in 1,500m in 2007 World
Championships
Craig Mottram (Australia) 2008 Best: 13:11.99 Lifetime Best: 12:55.76 (2004) Global Championship Highlights: Bronze medal in 2005 World Championships, 8th in 2004 Olympics, finalist in 2007 World Championships
Edwin Soi (Kenya) 2008 Best: 13:13.53 Lifetime Best: 12:52.40 (2006) Global Championship Highlights: No prior global championship appearances at 5,000m, 4th in 3,000m in World Indoors
Thomas Longosiwa (Kenya) 2008 Best: 13:14.36 Lifetime Best: 12:51.95 (2007) Global Championship Highlights: No prior appearances
Bernard Lagat (USA) 13:16.29 Lifetime Best: 12:59.22 (2006) Global Championship Highlights: 2007 World Champion, 2004 World Indoor 3,000m Champion
Ali Saidi-Sief (Algeria) 2008 Best: 13:22.59 Lifetime Best: 12:50.86 (2000) Global Championship Highlights: Silver medal in 2000 Olympics, 5th in 2005 World Championships, 10th in 2004 Olympics, 9th in 3,000m in 1999 World Indoors
Mo Farah (Great Britain) 2008 Best: 13:25.01 Lifetime Best: 13:07.00 (2007) Global Championship Highlights: 6th in 2007 World Championships
Matt Tegenkamp (USA) 2008 Best: 13:28.52 Lifetime Best: 13:04.90 (2006) Global Championship Highlights: 4th in 2007 World Championships
Ian Dobson (USA) 2008 Best: 13:29.76 Lifetime Best: 13:15.33 (2005) Global Championship Highlights: Eliminated in first round of 2005 World Championships