{"id":549,"date":"2011-08-11T07:13:00","date_gmt":"2011-08-11T14:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=549"},"modified":"2011-08-11T07:13:00","modified_gmt":"2011-08-11T14:13:00","slug":"world-championships-preview-1500-meters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=549","title":{"rendered":"World Championships Preview \u2013 1500 Meters"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Metric Mile, is one of the showcase events in the sport, and lately one of those hard to predict events. In large part because of the tendency for milers to get \u201ctactical\u201d in the big meets as opposed to simply \u201cracing\u201d. I don\u2019t see an end to that trend on either the women or men\u2019s sides in Daegu. That said, let\u2019s take a look at the Metric Mile. <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"image\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/h4>\n

Women\u2019s 1500<\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
 <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
World Record<\/strong><\/td>\n3:50.46<\/td>\nQu Yunxia<\/td>\nCHN<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Meet Record<\/strong><\/td>\n3:58.52<\/td>\nTatyana Tomasova<\/td>\nRUS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2009 Gold<\/font><\/strong><\/td>\n4:03.74<\/td>\nMaryam Jamal<\/td>\nBRN<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/h3>\n

2011 Best<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
 <\/td>\n4:00.33<\/td>\nMaryam Jamal<\/td>\nBRN<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
 <\/td>\n4:00.97<\/td>\nKalkaden Gezahegn<\/td>\nETH<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
 <\/td>\n4:01.02<\/td>\nYekaterina Gorbunova<\/td>\nRUS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
 <\/td>\n4:01.09<\/td>\nBtissam Lakouad<\/td>\nMAR<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
 <\/td>\n4:01.33<\/td>\nSiham Hilali<\/td>\nMAR<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
 <\/td>\n4:01.50<\/td>\nNatalia Rodriguez<\/td>\nESP<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

On the clock, this season has been marked by Hengelo, Barcelona, and Cheboskary \u2013 the meets where the majority of season\u2019s bests were set. On the track, however, the \u201cbig\u201d races (Diamond League, et al) have been dominated by Maryam Jamal (BRN), and Morgan Uceny (USA). As these two women have emerged as the season\u2019s best racers. <\/p>\n

Similarly, while she has not won with regularity, Anna Mischenko (UKR) has run often, been competitive, and been consistent. Traits that I think will fair her well in what should be a tactical endeavor. Because outside of Jamal, most of the women near the top of the yearly list, have neither the wins, nor follow up times, to back up what so far have been \u201cone off\u201d season\u2019s bests. <\/p>\n

With the majority of the women from Berlin\u2019s final, not headed back to the ball, defending champ Jamal is both the fastest on the clock and the most experienced runner heading into Daegu \u2013 huge advantages for her. Even  more so when you consider that she is a double defender, having won in both \u201807 and \u201809 following a 5th place finish in \u201805.<\/p>\n

The one woman that has been successful against her this season is Uceny who was able to defeat her in Lausanne and Birmingham. A \u201crookie\u201d at this level, Uceny has shown an improved racing acumen, which has consistently put her \u201cin the mix\u201d in every race she has run this year.<\/p>\n

Which brings me to the potential fly in the ointment \u2013 Kenyan Nancy Langat. Langat has not had a great season to this point \u2013 her season’s best 4:03.66 coming in a 5th place finish in Rome. But she did manage to finish second at the Kenyan Trials, and is experienced having won gold in Beijing. She bears watching as she is typically at her best in big races. <\/p>\n

In a race with few \u201cstars\u201d I expect those who have been most dominant to continue in a tactical race that will be just fast enough to shake the pretenders:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Gold<\/td>\nMaryam Jamal<\/td>\nBRN<\/td>\n4:01.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Silver<\/td>\nMorgan Uceny<\/td>\nUSA<\/td>\n4:01.30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bronze<\/td>\nAnna Mischenko<\/td>\nUKR<\/td>\n4:02.10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Just Missed<\/td>\nNancy Langat<\/td>\nKEN<\/td>\n4:02.60<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"image\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Men\u2019s 1500<\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
 <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
World Record<\/strong><\/td>\n3:26.00<\/td>\nHicham El Gruerrouj<\/td>\nMAR<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Meet Record<\/strong><\/td>\n3:27.65<\/td>\nHicham El Guerrouj<\/td>\nMAR<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2009 Gold<\/font><\/strong><\/td>\n3:35.93<\/td>\nYusuf Said Kamel<\/td>\nBRN<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/h3>\n

 <\/h3>\n

2011 Best<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
 <\/td>\n3:30.47<\/td>\nSilas Kiplagat<\/td>\nKEN<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
 <\/td>\n3:31.42<\/td>\nNixon Chepseba<\/td>\nKEN<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
 <\/td>\n3:31.76<\/td>\nAsbel Kiprop<\/td>\nKEN<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
 <\/td>\n3:31.76<\/td>\nAbubaker Kaki<\/td>\nSUD<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
 <\/td>\n3:31.79<\/td>\nNick Willis<\/td>\nNZL<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
 <\/td>\n3:31.82<\/td>\nMohamed Shahween<\/td>\nKSA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Yearly leader Silas Kiplagat, has also been the best on the circuit \u2013 winning at Pre, Monaco, and Stockholm. He\u2019s also been the best on the clock, with the two fastest times on the season \u2013 and #14. Fellow Kenyan Asbel Kiprop has been a very consistent second all year, finishing in that position in that position in Shanghai, Paris and Stockholm in addition to being runner up behind Kiplagat at the Kenyan Trials. <\/p>\n

Moroccan Amine Laalou has not raced as much as his Kenyan counterparts, but is undefeated in his two races in times of 3:31.92 and 3:32.15. On the other end of the spectrum Ethiopian Mekonnen Gebremedhin, has raced as much as the Kenyans, and as consistently as Kiprop has finished second, Gebremedhin as finished in third place \u2013 doing so in Doha, Shanghai, and Bislett. Though his final race before Daegu was an uncharacteristic 12th in Paris. <\/p>\n

These seem to be the major players for my money. There are lots of fast times, but the yearly lists are heavily weighted with African athletes. Potentially the best non African, Bernard Lagat (USA), will be focusing his energies on the 5000 meters. Kiwi Nick Willis has PR\u2019d this year, but was only 4th when he did, and only finished 10th in the loaded Pre mile. The one non African that may be able to crash the party, is American Leo Manzano, who showed signs of life in London with his 3:51.24 mile win. A similar type race in Daegu could find him pressing for the podium, as Manzano has proven to be able to kick with the top athletes over the final lap and down the final straight. <\/p>\n

At the end of the day however, I see this as an African party with Kenya crowning it\u2019s first ever World Champion:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Gold<\/td>\nSilas Kiplagat<\/td>\nKEN<\/td>\n3:32.80<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Silver<\/td>\nAsbel Kiprop<\/td>\nKEN<\/td>\n3:33.10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bronze<\/td>\nAmine Laalou<\/td>\nMOR<\/td>\n3:33.30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Just Missed<\/td>\nMekonnen Gebremedhin<\/td>\nETH<\/td>\n3:33.90<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Metric Mile, is one of the showcase events in the sport, and lately one of those hard to predict events. In large part because of the tendency for milers to get \u201ctactical\u201d in the big meets as opposed to simply \u201cracing\u201d. I don\u2019t see an end to that trend on either the women or […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-549","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa3DCY-8R","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/549","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=549"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/549\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=549"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=549"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=549"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}