Asbel Kiprop, Ronald Kwemoi ease into 1500m final in Rio
Kenya's Asbel Kiprop (right) competes in the Men's 1500m Round 1 during the athletics event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 16, 2016. AFP PHOTO | JEWEL SAMAD
What you need to know:
- As was the case after the heats, both athletes chose not to speak to the journalists.
- Manangoi had booked his place in the semis by posting a time of 3:46.83 to finish second in a heat.
IN RIO DE JANEIRO
Only two Kenyans will be in the finals of the men’s 1,500m finals set for Saturday at 3 a.m (Kenyan time).
World champion Asbel Kiprop and Ronald Kwemoi booked their places the finals by winning their respective semifinal heats.
But their was bad news from the Kenyan camp, which hours to the race announced the withdrawal of Elijah Manangoi from an injury suffered during the heats.
Manangoi appeared to have pulled his left hamstring during the heats on Monday and despite progressing from the heats he was visibly worried by his condition.
"I'm not feeling so good. I also almost lost one shoe during the race," he said at the time.
Manangoi had booked his place in the semis by posting a time of 3:46.83 to finish second in a heat that was won by defending champion Taoufik Makhloufi of Algeria in 3:46.82.
It turned out that the injury was worse than it was thought to have been.
“It is regrettable that Manangoi will not run in the 1,500m men’s semifinals after picking an injury in the heats,"National Olympic Committee of Kenya (Nock) Media Liaison Officer, Peter Angwenyi said while confirming the news.
Regardless of the setback, Kiprop and Kwemoi lifted the spirits of Kenyans by securing their places in the finals without much trouble.
With qualification guaranteed for the top five finishers from each heat and the next two fastest finishers Kiprop, progressed from heat one with a winning time of 3:39.73 followed by Makhloufi of Algeria who finished strongly in 3:39.88.
Nicholas Willis of New Zealand was placed third in 3:39.96.
Kwemoi then progressed from heat two after battling from behind to take first position in 3:39.42 ahead of Djibouti's Ayanleh Souleiman in 3:39.46 followed by Matthew Centrowitz of the USA who timed 3:39.61.
As was the case after the heats, both athletes chose not to speak to the journalists.
"Tusiongee leo" (Let's not talk today) was all Kiprop said while Kwemoi only acknowledged greetings from the Kenyan media in the mixed zone before walking away.
