Most surprising Olympic winner

[Conor Dary]

I wasn't shocked to see Centrowitz win in Rio. I was shocked to watch the field let him dictate the pace through the whole race.

I wasn't at all....that's how the 1500 goes these days...no one wants to lead and for good reasons....the only real surprise was Kiprop running like a donkey....other than an American winning, and the paraOlympic guy ran faster, a pretty forgettable race....

Shame it's not a team race like Mexico was....even though Ryun lost what an incredible race. Who in the general public would remember Jipcho if not for that. I doubt the Times would have had an obit if not for Mexico.

[DoubleRBar]

The Rio Olympic men's 1,500 was not how most 1,500's go these days. Certainly you can expect a very tactical race in an Olympic 1,500 final and usually the pace can be fairly slow during the first couple of laps, but usually there are at least one or two runners who will then push the pace from 800 to the finish. Rio was completely different in that all 11 runners let Centrowitz hold the lead through the whole race (that is not usual). The early pace in Rio was of historic proportions. That was not usual (very unusual). After passing the 800 in about 2:16, most track fans expected a huge kick with about 500 or maybe 600 to go (and probably from Asbel Kiprop or maybe from Taoufik Makhloufi). A championship men's 1,500 won in 3:50.00 is not usual. The Rio men's 1,500 was a masterpiece of running (to quote Jeff Hollobaugh) by Centrowitz. Hollobaugh said, "Centrowitz had controlled the race as if he had choreographed it in advance." Centrowitz did something in Rio that was most unusual. He ran to win the gold medal and used all 1,500 meters to do it.

[Conor Dary]

A championship men's 1,500 won in 3:50.00 is not usual.

Yes what else is new....An exciting race but completely forgettable....

[Conor Dary]

Of course Doha was different in that someone was fast enough to take it out....also an air condition stadium didn't hurt.

[DoubleRBar]

A championship race (like the World Championships or the Olympics) can be forgettable, but certainly not completely forgettable. The Rio Olympic men's 1,500 was so unusual because the winning time was the slowest Olympic winning time since Luigi Beccali's 3:51.20 at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics and it's not just the fact that it was so slow. It was the way the field let Centrowitz control the whole race. That is what was so unusual. If all a person cares about is fast times, then I can see you might not care about this race. You might enjoy a time trial. I enjoy a fast race, but races don't have to be fast to be enjoyable. I can tell you about many track fans (athletes included) who will not forget the Rio men's 1,500 for a long time.

[gh]

I wasn't shocked to see Centrowitz win in Rio. I was shocked to watch the field let him dictate the pace through the whole race.

before the meet I would have been shocked to see him win, but once he made it through to the final I realized (or fantasized?) that as one of the consummate racers around he had a very real chance. After the first lap was done I was pretty much convinced he'd win.

[DoubleRBar]

I wasn't convinced he would win, but after the first lap (and especially the second lap), I was very hopeful.

[Conor Dary]

I like fast races...they don't have to be super quick...but when it all comes down to the last 200...
When everyone has the exact same strategy it makes it kind of forgettable. Its like a poker game where everyone goes all in....exciting and then so what...

[Conor Dary]

Anyways as I said something like team racing would be interesting...leading is such a literal drag getting your teammate to take out a fast pace would open things up a bit.

[DoubleRBar]

Rio came down to last 1,500 (everyone was still in it).

[Conor Dary]

Rio came down to last 1,500 (everyone was still in it).

Really...I didn't know that...

[J Rorick]

Rio came down to last 1,500 (everyone was still in it).

In theory only.

[FrankS]

I've a funny feeling is only "forgettable" after the event. Experiencing the event was amazing. Talk about edge of your seat stuff. All sorts of thoughts going through my head. "Surely, this pace can't continue?" Who's likely to break first?" "Will, be a last lap finish or will somebody thy to jump the field at 600m". And then the actual last lap! marvellous stuff. And, that "forgettable" stuff is simply a tagged on after thought.

[DoubleRBar]

Very true, FrankS.