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.
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.
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 | USA | 1:44.30 | 1:44.30 |
2 | 2844 | Marcin LEWANDOWSKI | 1:44.56 | 1:43.72 | |
3 | 2696 | David Lekuta RUDISHA | 1:43.35 | 1:40.91 | |
4 | 2415 | Pierre-Ambroise BOSSE | 1:43.85 | 1:42.53 | |
5 | 2681 | Alfred KIPKETER | 1:43.73 | 1:43.73 | |
6 | 2009 | Taoufik MAKHLOUFI | 1:43.85 | 1:43.53 | |
7 | 3050 | Boris BERIAN | 1:44.20 | 1:43.34 | |
8 | 2695 | Ferguson Cheruiyot ROTICH | 1:44.05 | 1:42.84 |
Women’s 400m finals
ORDER / LANE | BIB | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | SB 2016 | PB |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1315 | Olha ZEMLYAK | 50.75 | 50.75 | |
2 | 863 | Libania GRENOT | 50.43 | 50.30 | |
3 | 1341 | Phyllis FRANCIS | 49.94 | 49.94 | |
4 | 1339 | Allyson FELIX | 49.67 | 49.26 | |
5 | 890 | Shericka JACKSON | 49.83 | 49.83 | |
6 | 1347 | Natasha HASTINGS | 49.90 | 49.84 | |
7 | 361 | Shaunae MILLER | 49.55 | 49.55 | |
8 | 895 | Stephenie Ann MCPHERSON | 50.04 | 49.92 |
Women’s 400m hurdles
HEAT 2
ORDER / LANE | BIB | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | SB 2016 | PB |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 470 | Chanice CHASE | 54.94 | 54.94 | |
2 | 1250 | Sparkle MCKNIGHT | 56.23 | 55.41 | |
3 | 910 | Janieve RUSSELL | 53.96 | 53.96 | |
4 | 737 | Jackie BAUMANN | 56.19 | 56.19 | |
5 | 1016 | Drita ISLAMI | 1:01.02 | 1:01.02 | |
6 | 1141 | Grace CLAXTON | 55.90 | 55.90 | |
7 | 1111 | Joanna LINKIEWICZ | 55.25 | 55.25 | |
8 | 367 | Tia-Adana BELLE | 55.82 | 55.82 |
HEAT 5
ORDER / LANE | BIB | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | SB 2016 | PB |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 345 | Lauren WELLS | 55.23 | 55.08 | |
2 | 665 | Phara ANACHARSIS | 55.84 | 55.84 | |
3 | 1361 | Dalilah MUHAMMAD | 52.88 | 52.88 | |
4 | 1126 | Vera BARBOSA | 56.20 | 55.22 | |
5 | 1401 | Thi Huyen NGUYEN | 56.15 | ||
6 | 1311 | Anna TITIMETS | 55.00 | 54.56 | |
7 | 483 | Noelle MONTCALM | 55.83 | 55.81 | |
8 | 1385 | Natalya ASANOVA | 56.19 | 56.13 |
HEAT 6
ORDER / LANE | BIB | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | SB 2016 | PB |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 499 | Sage WATSON | 54.82 | 54.82 | |
2 | 1058 | Amaka OGOEGBUNAM | 56.65 | 55.46 | |
3 | 1284 | Olena KOLESNYCHENKO | 55.48 | 55.48 | |
4 | 934 | Aleksandra ROMANOVA | 55.95 | 55.95 | |
5 | 917 | Satomi KUBOKURA | 56.14 | 55.34 | |
6 | 701 | Eilidh DOYLE | 54.09 | 54.09 | |
7 | 560 | Sharolyn SCOTT | 58.24 | 56.19 | |
8 | 859 | Marzia CARAVELLI | 55.69 | 55.69 |