Asbel Kiprop stands on the cusp of greatness in Rio Olympics

Asbel Kiprop of Kenya (centre) competes during the men's 1500m semi-finals of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Athletics, Track and Field events at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 18 , 2016. PHOTO | ANTONIO LACERDA |

What you need to know:

  • Gold or world record? Asbel must get his tactics absolutely spot on
  • Kiprop, now aged 27, has the perfect opportunity to entrench himself in athletics folklore.

Depending on which side of the fence you’re sitting on, Asbel Kiprop is either guaranteed of a second Olympics gold medal at the Rio 2016 1,500m race, or potentially has a genuine shot at the long-standing Hicham El Guerrouj’s world record of 3.26.00, barring a cataclysmic catastrophe.

In theory, Kiprop has got nothing left to prove. He already has an Olympic gold won at the 2008 Beijing Games. He is a three-time world champion having won the 1,500m race at Daegu 2011, Moscow 2013 and Beijing 2015.

His versatility is proven with an 800m personal best time of 1.43.15 and that of the mile at 3.48.50 as well as his dabbling over the cross country 8km with excellent results leaving no doubt about his credentials as the one of the most versatile athletes of his time.

Amid all these accolades, it is easy to forget that Kiprop currently holds the third fastest all-time record over the 1,500m of 3.26.69 behind only Hicham El Guerrouj’s world record, and Bernard Lagat’s 3.26.34.

Kiprop’s time is ahead of Noureddine Morceli previous seemingly unbeatable world record of 3.27.37.

The lanky Kenyan is number one on the current world standings for the senior men’s outdoor 1,500m and holds the current world leading time of 2016 of 3.29.33 set at Birmingham, Britain.

Small wonder, then, that many pundits have wondered why Kiprop has not managed to lower the world record in spite of his height advantage. He stands at 6’3” over Hicham El Guerrouj’s 5’9” translating into longer stride length albeit not necessarily effectively giving him leg speed and endurance advantage over his nemesis.

AMAZING PACESETTER

Indeed, Kiprop has participated in 800m Diamond League races in an attempt to improve on his speed.

It is not lost to the casual observer that lowering 1,500m world record will be no mean feat. The bar is set quite high. It would require perfect weather conditions and an amazing pacesetter or two for that matter. In the Olympics, it would require a highly competitive field capable of a sub 50sec final lap and a sub 1.50 last 800m. Not exactly what you’d call a piece of cake.

When El Guerrouj broke the world record his splits were: 400m - 0.55; 800m - 1.50.73; 1,100m - 2.32.73; 1,200m - 2.46.34; last 300m - 39.66! 

Critics might argue that Kiprop’s Achilles’ heel, in hindsight, might be his inability to control a race from the start and maintaining it to the finish, much like what David Rudisha managed to do at the London 2012 Olympics 800m final, where he led from start to finish, gently pressing his foot on the pedal before tearing apart the rest of the field with 300m to go, then bringing all his pedigree to bear in the home straight to smash the world record and become the first and only, man to run sub 1.41.

Kiprop, by his very nature and design, is a tall, languid, composed runner. He prefers to run the first lap at the back then slowly make his way up the field as the race progresses so that by the toll of the bell at the last lap he is running shoulder to shoulder among the race leaders; before finally deploying his devastating final kick and stride length advantage to eat up all of the final straight and coast home to victory almost effortlessly.

The talent with which Kiprop is endowed can never be brought into question; but to whom much is given, much is expected.

We are yet to see Kiprop tear through the laps alone, like a man possessed, in a race not against fellow man, but against the clock, like we have seen Mo Farah and Ethiopia's Ayana Almaz do in recent times. The gold medal beckons but is it enough? Rudisha did not think so in London 2012 when he went for the race against the clock, and came up trumps.

BLISTERING PACE

Pessimists will argue that the Olympics 1,500m final might be up for grabs, if the most recent Monaco Diamond League Meet is anything to go by. It was billed as the assault extraordinaire on the 1,500m world record by Kenya’s finest ever over the distance. Kiprop ran a blistering first 800m, only to peter out and finish a poor 10th in 3.39.33 in a race won by his countryman Bethwell Birgen; a man never heard of before, and who does not feature in the Kenyan roster for Rio.

Whether it was a case of over exertion or poor pace setting is a question that serves no purpose at this point in time. What must be noted however is that if going it alone at the finals of the men’s 1,500m at will put the gold medal in jeopardy, then Kiprop had better run in his usual style of waiting to strike at the final moment.

Kiprop’s main competitors will include his fellow countryman Ronald Kwemoi and Taoufik Makhloufi of Algeria, the reigning Olympic champion.

Kiprop, now aged 27, has the perfect opportunity to entrench himself in athletics folklore. It is an opportunity to remove the pain of London 2012; a chance at redemption. It’s time to show the world that the 2008 gold medal was rightly earned, and for avoidance of doubt, a second Olympic Gold would quieten the critics.