2015 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 800 metres

The men's 800 metres at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Beijing National Stadium on 22, 23 and 25 August.[1][2]

Men's 800 metres
at the 2015 World Championships
The final home straight.
VenueBeijing National Stadium
Dates22 August (heats)
23 August (semifinals)
25 August (final)
Competitors44 from 32 nations
Winning time1:45.84
Medalists
gold medal    Kenya
silver medal    Poland
bronze medal    Bosnia and Herzegovina
← 2013
2017 →
Official Video

Summary

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There is a definite change in this event. Returning silver medalist Nick Symmonds and returning bronze medalist Ayanleh Souleiman did not enter. Returning champion Mohammed Aman was disqualified for interference in the semi-final round. In fact, of the eight finalists in 2013, only Pierre-Ambroise Bosse returned to the final. Olympic silver medalist, the promising young Nijel Amos got pipped at the line in his slowest heat of the semi-finals and had to watch the final. World record holder David Rudisha did make the final winning that semi, but has not been running the times he ran during his world record years. The only other finalist with Olympic or World Championship 800 finals experience was 2011 sixth placer Adam Kszczot.

In the final, as world record holder, Rudisha commanded all eyeballs. The field expected Rudisha to lead and lead he did, but not to a 50-second first lap, but a very slow 54.15. For point of comparison, 54.15 was exactly the same time Mo Farah ran in the last lap of the 10,000 metres in these championships. With his compatriot Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich on his shoulder, the two acted as a wall at the front, but nobody else looked like they wanted to pass. 200 more metres went by at the slow pace, finally Kszczot tried to sneak by on the inside, but Rudisha wouldn't let him, accelerating to maintain the lead and continuing to speed up. With world leader and notable kicker Amel Tuka perfectly aligned to pounce, Rudisha just continued to speed up. Only Kszczot was able to follow but the entire field was losing ground.[3] Tuka's speed was not in evidence to the same degree as his previous races this season, instead straining to go around Cheruiyot to get the bronze medal. Tuka's medal was the first for Bosnia and Herzegovina. But it was the old guard 1-2 vs the newcomers.[4]

How did Rudisha's strategy work against these elite athletes? His last 200 metres was timed at 24.34, a speed most of these athletes are unfamiliar with at the end of a race. Even when a kicker like Tuka, or others with a similar strategy; Symmonds. Borzakovskiy, Robinson or Wottle runs by, they are passing slowing, depleted athletes with a 26+ or high 25 final 200. And most of these competitors are the ones slowing to make that final 200 from a kicker look so impressive.[5] Additionally, with the Kenyan's expert team tactics, Cherulyot's position caused everyone except Kszczot to have to run around Cherulyot at speeds they are not used to. Save Tuka's exceptional finishing speed, the strategy would have gotten Cherulyot a bronze medal.[6]

Records

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Prior to the competition, the records were as follows:[7]

World record   David Rudisha (KEN) 1:40.91 London, Great Britain 9 August 2012
Championship record   Billy Konchellah (KEN) 1:43.06 Rome, Italy 1 September 1987
World Leading   Amel Tuka (BIH) 1:42.51 Fontvieille, Monaco 17 July 2015
African Record   David Rudisha (KEN) 1:40.91 London, Great Britain 9 August 2012
Asian Record   Yusuf Saad Kamel (BHR) 1:42.79 Fontvieille, Monaco 29 July 2008
North, Central American and Caribbean record   Johnny Gray (USA) 1:42.60 Koblenz, West Germany 28 August 1985
South American Record   Joaquim Cruz (BRA) 1:41.77 Cologne, West Germany 26 August 1984
European Record   Wilson Kipketer (DEN) 1:41.11 Cologne, Germany 24 August 1997
Oceanian record   Peter Snell (NZL) 1:44.3 Christchurch, New Zealand 3 February 1962

Qualification standards

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Entry standards[8]
1:46.00

Schedule

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Date Time Round
22 August 2015 11:50 Heats
23 August 2015 20:15 Semifinals
25 August 2015 20:55 Final

All times are local times (UTC+8)

Results

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Heats

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Qualification: Best 3 (Q) and next 6 fastest (q) qualify for the next round.[9]

Rank Heat Name Nationality Time Notes
1 4 Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich   Kenya (KEN) 1:45.83 Q
2 4 Amine El Manaoui   Morocco (MAR) 1:45.86 Q
3 4 Kevin López   Spain (ESP) 1:46.06 Q
4 4 Konstantin Tolokonnikov   Russia (RUS) 1:46.07 q
5 3 Amel Tuka   Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) 1:46.12 Q
6 3 Nader Belhanbel   Morocco (MAR) 1:46.23 Q
7 4 Marcin Lewandowski   Poland (POL) 1:46.25 q
8 3 Rafith Rodríguez   Colombia (COL) 1:46.39 Q
9 5 Adam Kszczot   Poland (POL) 1:46.62 Q
10 3 Erik Sowinski   United States (USA) 1:46.63 q
11 5 Alfred Kipketer   Kenya (KEN) 1:46.67 Q
12 3 Mark English   Ireland (IRL) 1:46.69 q
13 4 Thijmen Kupers   Netherlands (NED) 1:46.70 q
14 5 Jeffrey Riseley   Australia (AUS) 1:46.79 Q
15 5 Jena Umar   Ethiopia (ETH) 1:47.03 q
16 1 Nijel Amos   Botswana (BOT) 1:47.23 Q
17 3 Žan Rudolf   Slovenia (SLO) 1:47.24
18 1 Antoine Gakeme   Burundi (BDI) 1:47.47 Q
19 5 Abdelati El Guesse   Morocco (MAR) 1:47.49
20 1 Ali Al-Deraan   Saudi Arabia (KSA) 1:47.65 Q
21 4 Musa Hajdari   Kosovo (KOS) 1:47.70 NR[a]
22 2 Mohammed Aman   Ethiopia (ETH) 1:47.87 Q
23 2 Pierre-Ambroise Bosse   France (FRA) 1:47.89 Q
24 1 Robin Schembera   Germany (GER) 1:48.04
25 5 Andreas Almgren   Sweden (SWE) 1:48.06
26 2 Clayton Murphy   United States (USA) 1:48.08 Q
27 2 Giordano Benedetti   Italy (ITA) 1:48.15
28 2 Jozef Repčík   Slovakia (SVK) 1:48.26
29 6 David Rudisha   Kenya (KEN) 1:48.31 Q
30 6 Abraham Rotich   Bahrain (BHR) 1:48.42 Q
31 4 Brice Etès   Monaco (MON) 1:48.52
32 6 Musaeb Abdulrahman Balla   Qatar (QAT) 1:48.59 Q
33 5 Reinhardt van Rensburg   South Africa (RSA) 1:48.61
34 6 Michael Rimmer   Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) 1:48.70
35 1 Josh Ralph   Australia (AUS) 1:48.90
36 6 Andreas Bube   Denmark (DEN) 1:48.94
37 2 Jamal Hairane   Qatar (QAT) 1:48.96
38 1 Casimir Loxsom   United States (USA) 1:48.97
39 6 Artur Kuciapski   Poland (POL) 1:49.22
40 1 Khalid Benmahdi   Algeria (ALG) 1:49.61
41 2 Kyle Langford   Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) 1:49.78
42 6 Cleiton Abrão   Brazil (BRA) 1:49.79
43 2 Adnan Taess   Iraq (IRQ) 1:54.44 SB
44 6 Wais Ibrahim Khairandesh   Afghanistan (AFG) 1:59.51
3 Alex Amankwah   Ghana (GHA) DNS

Semifinals

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Qualification: First 2 in each heat (Q) and the next 2 fastest (q) advanced to the final.[10]

Rank Heat Name Nationality Time Notes
1 3 Amel Tuka   Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) 1.44.84 Q
2 3 Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich   Kenya (KEN) 1:44.85 Q
3 1 Adam Kszczot   Poland (POL) 1:44.97 Q
4 1 Alfred Kipketer   Kenya (KEN) 1:44.99 Q
5 1 Pierre-Ambroise Bosse   France (FRA) 1:45.02 q
6 3 Nader Belhanbel   Morocco (MAR) 1:45.28 q
7 3 Marcin Lewandowski   Poland (POL) 1:45.34
8 3 Mark English   Ireland (IRL) 1:45.55
9 3 Rafith Rodríguez   Colombia (COL) 1:45.63
10 1 Kevin López   Spain (ESP) 1:45.84
11 1 Amine El Manaoui   Morocco (MAR) 1:46.09
12 1 Clayton Murphy   United States (USA) 1:46.28
13 3 Erik Sowinski   United States (USA) 1:47.16
14 2 David Rudisha   Kenya (KEN) 1:47.70 Q
15 1 Thijmen Kupers   Netherlands (NED) 1:47.74
16 2 Musaeb Abdulrahman Balla   Qatar (QAT) 1:47.93 Q
17 2 Nijel Amos   Botswana (BOT) 1:47.96
18 2 Konstantin Tolokonnikov   Russia (RUS) 1:48.32
19 2 Abraham Rotich   Bahrain (BHR) 1:48.61
20 3 Jena Umar   Ethiopia (ETH) 1:48.68
21 2 Ali Al-Deraan   Saudi Arabia (KSA) 1:48.71
22 2 Antoine Gakeme   Burundi (BDI) 1:48.86
1 Mohammed Aman   Ethiopia (ETH) DQ R163.2[11]
2 Jeffrey Riseley   Australia (AUS) DNS

Final

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The final was started at 20:55.[12]

Rank Name Nationality Time Notes
  David Rudisha   Kenya (KEN) 1:45.84
  Adam Kszczot   Poland (POL) 1:46.08
  Amel Tuka   Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) 1:46.30
4 Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich   Kenya (KEN) 1:46.35
5 Pierre-Ambroise Bosse   France (FRA) 1:46.63
6 Musaeb Abdulrahman Balla   Qatar (QAT) 1:47.01
7 Nader Belhanbel   Morocco (MAR) 1:47.09
8 Alfred Kipketer   Kenya (KEN) 1:47.66

References

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  1. ^ "Beijing 2015: Timetable". Beijing 2015. 10 August 2015. Archived from the original on 1 December 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  2. ^ Start list
  3. ^ "REPORT: MEN'S 800M FINAL – IAAF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, BEIJING 2015". iaaf.org. 25 August 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  4. ^ "David Rudisha wins 800m gold at world championships". Guardian. 25 August 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  5. ^ "World Championships 2015: Rudisha wins second world title". BBC Sport. 25 August 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  6. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "K24 Alfajiri : IAAF World Championships 2015 Analysis and Updates". YouTube.
  7. ^ "Records & Lists – 800 meters". IAAF. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  8. ^ IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015 – Standards (PDF), IAAF, 2014, retrieved 17 August 2015
  9. ^ Heats results
  10. ^ Semifinals results
  11. ^ Jostling/obstruction
  12. ^ Final results
  1. ^ By IAAF official website. Kosovo Athletic Federation mentioned result from 2014 (1:47.40), before a recognition by IAAF