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Rio evening preview – Day 4: The 800m king looks to repeat as Olympic champion

David Rudisha will look to repeat as Olympic champion in the men's 800m in Rio tonight on day four of athletics. Lots of Canadians are in action too.

David Rudisha

The men’s 800m is expected to be the highlight of the evening session tonight at the Rio Olympics as the defending champion and world record holder looks to repeat. Kenya’s David Rudisha, who’s famous run in 2012 led to a 1:40.91 world record, will go up against seven of the world’s best two-lap specialists.

There are no Canadians in the final as Brandon McBride was eliminated in the semifinals and Anthony Romaniw did not make it beyond the heats. The finals of the men’s 800m is the third of three rounds and the medallists will be determined tonight at 9:25 p.m. EDT.

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Rudisha, 27, has not looked amazing this season but controlled his race in the heats and semifinals. The tall figure typically takes the race out hard and controls the pace from the front. He does that to stay away from jostling other runners as well as being able to take the shortest possible line around the track. Expect for him to do the same this evening. Watch for a time in the 1:43 range.

Canadians to watch for during tonight’s evening session at the Olympics

Men’s 110m hurdles – 7:40 p.m. EDT – Heats

Two Canadians, Johnathan Cabral and Sekou Kaba, will be in the 110m hurdles beginning at 7:40 p.m. in the first of three rounds. The race, which typically lasts about 13 seconds, is one of the more exciting races on the track as athletes have to hurdle barriers that are more than one metre tall.

Cabral, 23, grew up and attended high school in the United States. He and Kaba, an Ottawa native, will be making their Olympic debuts for Canada when they step onto the track tonight. The top four in each heat (race) move on to the next round plus four athletes based on time. There are five heats with eight athletes in each.

Women’s 400m hurdles – 8:30 p.m. EDT – Heats

The women’s 400m hurdles has quietly become a very strong event for Canadians as a full team of three athletes will be donning the Team Canada jersey in the opening round. Noelle Montcalm, the national champion, will be joined by Sage Watson and Chanice Chase. Watson is still in university and runs for the University of Arizona. Chase was at Louisiana State University and Montcalm attended the University of Windsor.

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There are six heats of eight women and the first three finishers of each race plus six others based on their time will make it to the second round. There are three rounds in the women’s 400m hurdles, a one-lap sprint where athletes hurdle barriers, spaced between 35 and 40 metres apart. They must stay in their lanes at all times.

Athletes are allowed to knock down the barriers though it’s not wise as it ruins momentum and slows a runner down. Look for times to be between 53 and 55 seconds for athletes to move on to the next round.

I got some really big rings #olympics #rio2016

A photo posted by Sage Watson (@sagewatson) on

We readdddy. Tune up complete. Let’s go have some fun! #rio2016 #olympics

A photo posted by Noelle Montcalm (@nmontcalm) on

The other event to keep an eye on – women’s 400m final – 9:45 p.m. EDT

The women’s 400m final is tonight and Allyson Felix is going for her fifth Olympic title to add to what is already one of the most impressive resumes in track and field history. The 30-year-old American has the best time of the field at 49.26 seconds but earlier this season battled a lower leg injury. That race is the final event of the night at 9:45 p.m. EDT.

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Start lists for the Aug. 15 evening session (men’s 800m and women’s 400m finals and heats with Canadians)

Men’s 800m finals

ORDER / LANE BIB ATHLETE COUNTRY SB 2016 PB
1 3091 Clayton MURPHY USAUSA 1:44.30 1:44.30
2 2844 Marcin LEWANDOWSKI POLPOL 1:44.56 1:43.72
3 2696 David Lekuta RUDISHA KENKEN 1:43.35 1:40.91
4 2415 Pierre-Ambroise BOSSE FRAFRA 1:43.85 1:42.53
5 2681 Alfred KIPKETER KENKEN 1:43.73 1:43.73
6 2009 Taoufik MAKHLOUFI ALGALG 1:43.85 1:43.53
7 3050 Boris BERIAN USAUSA 1:44.20 1:43.34
8 2695 Ferguson Cheruiyot ROTICH KENKEN 1:44.05 1:42.84

Women’s 400m finals

ORDER / LANE BIB ATHLETE COUNTRY SB 2016 PB
1 1315 Olha ZEMLYAK UKRUKR 50.75 50.75
2 863 Libania GRENOT ITAITA 50.43 50.30
3 1341 Phyllis FRANCIS USAUSA 49.94 49.94
4 1339 Allyson FELIX USAUSA 49.67 49.26
5 890 Shericka JACKSON JAMJAM 49.83 49.83
6 1347 Natasha HASTINGS USAUSA 49.90 49.84
7 361 Shaunae MILLER BAHBAH 49.55 49.55
8 895 Stephenie Ann MCPHERSON JAMJAM 50.04 49.92

Women’s 400m hurdles

HEAT 2

ORDER / LANE BIB ATHLETE COUNTRY SB 2016 PB
1 470 Chanice CHASE CANCAN 54.94 54.94
2 1250 Sparkle MCKNIGHT TTOTTO 56.23 55.41
3 910 Janieve RUSSELL JAMJAM 53.96 53.96
4 737 Jackie BAUMANN GERGER 56.19 56.19
5 1016 Drita ISLAMI MKDMKD 1:01.02 1:01.02
6 1141 Grace CLAXTON PURPUR 55.90 55.90
7 1111 Joanna LINKIEWICZ POLPOL 55.25 55.25
8 367 Tia-Adana BELLE BARBAR 55.82 55.82

HEAT 5

ORDER / LANE BIB ATHLETE COUNTRY SB 2016 PB
1 345 Lauren WELLS AUSAUS 55.23 55.08
2 665 Phara ANACHARSIS FRAFRA 55.84 55.84
3 1361 Dalilah MUHAMMAD USAUSA 52.88 52.88
4 1126 Vera BARBOSA PORPOR 56.20 55.22
5 1401 Thi Huyen NGUYEN VIEVIE 56.15
6 1311 Anna TITIMETS UKRUKR 55.00 54.56
7 483 Noelle MONTCALM CANCAN 55.83 55.81
8 1385 Natalya ASANOVA UZBUZB 56.19 56.13

HEAT 6

ORDER / LANE BIB ATHLETE COUNTRY SB 2016 PB
1 499 Sage WATSON CANCAN 54.82 54.82
2 1058 Amaka OGOEGBUNAM NGRNGR 56.65 55.46
3 1284 Olena KOLESNYCHENKO UKRUKR 55.48 55.48
4 934 Aleksandra ROMANOVA KAZKAZ 55.95 55.95
5 917 Satomi KUBOKURA JPNJPN 56.14 55.34
6 701 Eilidh DOYLE GBRGBR 54.09 54.09
7 560 Sharolyn SCOTT CRCCRC 58.24 56.19
8 859 Marzia CARAVELLI ITAITA 55.69 55.69

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