Asbel Kiprop in the 1500m heats at the IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015 (© Getty Images)
World indoor 1500m champion Ayanleh Souleiman was the only big fish who will play no further part in the competition in an otherwise routine first-round qualification for the men’s 1500m.
Souleiman, a three-time winner on the IAAF Diamond League circuit this season, was tipped as a genuine medal contender but the 2013 world 800m bronze medallist from Djibouti failed to complete heat two and glumly departed the stadium on a stretcher.
Heat one took on the same theme of so many endurance races here in Beijing in that the first half of the race was conducted at a pedestrian pace before exploding into life in the latter stages.
Kenyan Elijah Manangoi led almost every step of the race, passing 800m in a sedate 2:08.94 alongside Matt Centrowitz, a 1500m medallist at the past two World Championships. At the bell you could have thrown a blanket over the lead 13 athletes with Manangoi now joined by Algeria’s Taoufik Makhloufi, the Olympic champion, at the front.
Manangoi, an emerging Kenyan talent who ran 3:29.67 in Monaco last month, unleashed a final lap of 51.5 to stop the clock in 3:42.57 – 0.15 behind was Makhloufi with Centrowitz placing third in 3:43.17. Johan Cronje of South Africa, a shock bronze medallist at the 2013 IAAF World Championships, grabbed the sixth and final automatic qualification place and will also feature in tomorrow’s semi-finals.
While Souleiman was left devastated by his non-qualification from heat two, there was no such problems for pre-event favourite and defending champion Asbel Kiprop, as the stick-thin Kenyan nonchalantly claimed an easy heat two win in 3:38.97.
In a much swifter heat, thanks chiefly to the efforts of Aman Wote, the Ethiopian record-holder took the field through 800m in 2:01 and then the bell at 2:44.19. Kiprop was content to amble along at the back of the field until, with 450m left, he decided to stretch out his long limbs and make his move.
Entering the home straight, Kiprop, who is seeking a hat-trick of titles here in Beijing, held the advantage and crossed the line first 0.08 clear of Wote, the long-time leader. Olympic silver medallist Leo Manzano completed the top three in 3:39.22 to also ease into the next round.
In the final heat, the chief protagonists also safely booked their safe passage into the semi-finals. Leading the qualifiers was 2011 world silver medallist Silas Kiplagat in 3:38.13 – 0.01 clear of Olympic bronze medallist Abdalaati Iguider with New Zealand’s Nick Willis, winner of the 2008 Olympic silver medal in this same Bird’s Nest Stadium, half a stride behind in third.
The quickest of the three heats was largely due to the efforts of Turkey’s Ilham Tanui Ozbilen. The 2012 world indoor silver medallist set a healthy pace from the outset, passing 800m in 2:01.05, and his hard work ensured that 11 of the 14 competitors in this heat – which included five of the six non-automatic qualifiers – would advance to the semi-finals.
Ozbilen was also rewarded for his efforts by securing one of the six automatic qualification spots in fourth in 3:38.28. There was plenty of pushing and shoving around the penultimate bend as athletes tried to find a good position for the strike for home, but thankfully there was no major incident as the top names all progressed.
Steve Landells for the IAAF
