Kipyegon Upsets Dibaba for 1500m Gold, Simpson Claims Bronze- Day 5 Recap




In a stunning women's 1500m final, Kenya's Faith Kipyegon upset world record-holder Genzebe Dibaba to claim gold at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Jenny Simpson followed for bronze to claim the first Olympic medal for an American woman in the 1500m.

Kipyegon broke the world record-holder by outlasting her in a fatal mid-race 56-second surge for a 4:08.92 victory. Dibaba followed for second in 4:10.27. Meanwhile, Simpson fought her way to third over fellow American Shannon Rowbury. Simpson closed in 4:10.53, Rowbury followed in 4:11.05 and Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands closed for fifth in 4:11.23.

Simpson's kick for third included a 1:59.0 final 800m split. Amazingly, she has never broken two minutes in an open 800m race. 
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"Jenny ran exactly as she planned," Simpson's long time coach Mark Wetmore told CUBuffs.com. 

"She just wanted to think like a predator. She ran the final 800 faster than any 800 race of her career. Heather and I are thoroughly proud to work with these two women [Simpson and Emma Coburn who earned bronze in the steeplechase]."

The performance marked Simpson's third Olympic Games and her first Olympic medal of her career. She finished ninth in the steeplechase in 2008 and advanced to the semifinals of the 1500m in 2012. She won the 2011 world championships and earned silver at the 2013 world championships in the 1500m.

Kipyegon's performance built upon a year that included a 3:56 Kenyan national record and world leading mark. The 22-year-old earned silver to Dibaba at last year's world championships, making this Olympic performance an act of redemption. 

After breaking the world record last year, Dibaba hasn't raced nearly as frequently in 2016 due to ongoing injury. She notched the mile world record in Feb. but has since only raced six times, including the three rounds of the Olympics. Dibaba's coach Jama Aden was recently caught in a hotel drug bustin Spain and is currently under investigation.

From the gun, the race was a tactical battle. 

Rowbury took the lead and brought the field into the first 200m in a pedestrian 38-seconds. 

The lead switched periodically as competitors maintained the slow pace into the 400m which they crossed in 76-seconds, and eventually the 800m which was hit in 2:27 -- just over five-minute mile pace. 

As soon as the field rounded the finish line with two laps remaining, the defending world champion made a jump to the front, injecting an increase in pace. Kipyegon, Great Britain's Laura Muir, and half of the field bravely countered the move. It was a move that brought the field into a shockingly fast 56-second quarter split. 

Half of the field responded to the tactic, but it would be a fatal mistake as most of the competitors weren't able to maintain in the closing lap. 

Simpson, however, was able to respond and fought her way from fifth-place at 300m remaining to third place rounding the final turn. She clawed her way past Hassan, Muir, and Meraf Bahta to finish third and make history as the first American woman to medal in the 1500m. 

Just a few meters ahead of Simpson, Kipyegon had broken Dibaba and claimed the victory with two seconds to spare over the defending world champion. 

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400m Hurdles Finalists: Sydney McLaughlin Goes Home

400m Hurdles Finalists: Sydney McLaughlin Goes Home
Photo: :copyright: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports
Article: Gordon Mack

17-year-old prodigy Sydney McLaughlin's historic season finally ended in Brazil, as she ran 56.22 in her Olympic 400 hurdles semifinal and was eliminated on time. McLaughlin's junior high school season included a winning anchor leg in the 4x400m at indoor nationals, a 50.9 relay split at outdoor nationals, and a high school, American junior, world youth, and world junior record of 54.15 in the 400 hurdles at the Olympic Trials. She was 16 when she made the Olympic team, making her the youngest American track Olympian since 1972.

Americans Dalilah Muhammad and Ashley Spencer qualified for the final. Muhammad, the world leader, is a heavy favorite for gold. No one ran within 0.66 seconds of her semifinal time. Spencer qualified after clipping a hurdle on the homestretch, falling into third, then bizarrely getting a burst of energy in the last five meters.

In the men's semis, Kerron Clement was the only American man to advance, though he did run the fastest time. Byron Robinson set a new PB of 48.65 seconds and missed making the final by one one-hundredth of a second.

Women's Finalists:
53.89Q Dalilah Muhammad (USA)
54.55Q Zuzana Hejnova (CZE)
54.55Q Sara Slott Petersen (DEN)
54.80Q Ristananna Tracey (JAM)
54.87Q Ashley Spencer (USA)
54.92Q Janieve Russell (JAM)
54.98q Leah Nugent (JAM)
54.99q Eilidh Doyle (GBR)

Men's Finalists:
48.26Q Kerron Clement (USA)
48.32Q Annsert Whyte (JAM)
48.39Q Thomas Barr (IRL)
48.46Q Javier Culson (PUR)
48.49Q Haron Koech (KEN)
48.85Q Boniface Mucheru Tumuti (KEN)
48.61q Yasmani Copello (TUR)
48.64q Rasmus Magi (EST)


Canadian Derek Drouin Wins High Jump Gold

Canadian Derek Drouin Wins High Jump Gold
Photo: Jason Getz - USA TODAY Sports
Article: Dennis Young
Derek Drouin of Canada won his first Olympic gold medal in the high jump on Tuesday evening, turning in a clean sheet through 2.38 meters to win easily over longtime rivals Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar and Bohdan Bondarenko of Ukraine. All three had zero misses through 2.36m, but Barshim missed all three tries there and Bondarenko missed two before taking a failed crack at 2.40m. With gold secure, Drouin took one shot at 2.40m and missed.

Drouin is the defending world champion and won shared Olympic bronze with Barshim and a British athlete in London four years ago. 2012 silver medalist Eric Kynard of the United States also jumped 2.33m, the same as Barshim and Bondarenko, but had three misses on the way up. He was sixth on misses. 

Drouin's gold is the first in the event for Canada since 1932.


Women's 200m Finalists: Schippers, Bowie Lay Groundwork For Fast 200m Final

Women's 200m Finalists: Schippers, Bowie Lay Groundwork For Fast 200m Final

Schippers won the 200m at the 2015 World Championships in a personal best of 21.63. 

Oregon All American and college sophomore Deajah Stevens followed for third in 22.38. Despite the third-place finish, Stevens was able to advance on time into the final. 

Marie-Josee Ta Lou claimed heat two in a personal best of 22.28 over Ivet Lgalova-Collio and Ella Nelson of Australia. Unfortunately, Jenna Prandini failed to advance to the final after finishing fourth overall in 22.55. 

Tori Bowie threw down a dominant victory in heat three to claim the win over Michelle-Lee Ahye. Bowie ran 22.13 while Ayhe ran 22.25.

Women's Finalists:
21.96Q Dafne Schippers (NED)
22.13Q Elaine Thompson (JAM)
22.13Q Tori Bowie (USA)
22.25Q Michelle-Lee Ahye (TTO)
22.28Q Marie-Josee Ta Lou (CIV)
22.42Q Ivet Lalova-Collio (BUL)
22.38q Deajah Stevens (USA)
22.49q Dina Asher-Smith (GBR)

Jenna Prandini ran 22.55 for fourth in heat two.




Jamaican Omar McLeod Wins 110m Hurdles, Americans Shut Out For First Time

Jamaican Omar McLeod Wins 110m Hurdles, Americans Shut Out For First Time
Photo: James Lang - USA TODAY Sports
Article: Dennis Young
Jamaican Omar McLeod decisively routed the field in the 110m hurdles final, running 13.05 ahead of Orlando Ortega's 13.17. Americans Devon Allen and Ronnie Ash were fifth and eighth.

The only other Olympic 110m hurdles final in which zero American medals was 1980, when the U.S. boycotted the Moscow Olympics. Ash looked to be in position to possibly medal heading into the last hurdle, but hit it and stumbled into last place.

There was never any doubt about who would win this race, though. McLeod combined his unprecedented speed--he's the only man ever under 13.00 in the hurdles and 10.00 in the 100m--with clean hurdling and led from nearly start to finish. The 22-year-old turned pro after winning the 2015 NCAA title for Arkansas, and won by just under a meter tonight. 

Orlando Ortega of Spain was second. For most of 2016, Ortega was not cleared to compete at the Olympics after transferring his citizenship from Cuba to Spain. He defected from Cuba after the 2013 world championships--after getting suspended by the Cuban federation for not doing a meet they wanted--and initially declared his intention to move to Florida. And the IOCcleared him to compete for Spain on his 25th birthday in late July. 

Dimitri Bascou of France won bronze after also taking third at world indoors. McLeod won the 60m at world indoors, and was undefeated in the hurdles through the Jamaican Trials. But he ran 16.82 for dead last in Monaco--and was DQ'd in Hungary three days later. Those were his last two races before the Olympics. And they were clearly flukes.