Ayanleh Souleiman wins his 1500m heat at the IAAF World Indoor Championships Portland 2016 (© Getty Images)
Djibouti’s Ayanleh Souleiman confirmed he is ready to defend his world indoor 1500m title with a convincing win in the second of two heats.
Souleiman made his move at the halfway point in the race and held off the challenge of a compact group of six runners to win in 3:41.04.
The race was substantially faster than the first heat and meant that the top six made it to the final, including Ethiopia’s 2014 world indoor championships runner-up Aman Wote and New Zealand’s 2008 Olympic silver medallist Nick Willis.
US indoor champion Matthew Centrowitz also asserted himself as one of the top medal contenders with his 3:47.15 win in the first heat, hitting the front at the bell, taking Ethiopia’s Dawit Wolde and Czech Republic’s Jakub Holusa with him before they finished in that order.
Kenya’s Vincent Kibet, USA’s Robby Andrews and Great Britain’s Chris O’Hare complete the list of runners for Sunday’s final.
Javier Clavelo Robinson for the IAAF
