USATF Men's1500 Final and its Aftermath

If you like races where runners push the pace from the start and run personal and seasonal best times, you probably HATED the men's 1500m final at the USATF Championships, Saturday. If, on the other hand, you like races full of tactics and tension that can be resolved only by a fast, furious finish, the 1500 was the race for you.

Of course, you already know that baby-faced Matt Centrowitz did the unthinkable, holding off -- no, pulling away from! -- the seemingly invincible Bernard Lagat. You know that Leo Manzano closed brilliantly, outleaning Andrew Wheating and Will Leer for third. Wheating, it must be said, didn't actually run a bad race (he had positioned himself in third with 100m to go), but he didn't fully appreciate a basic principle of tactical races: everyone is fast in a tactical race, and if you leave it to the last 100m, you better be sure you have the best acceleration. Wheating didn't, and he paid the price. By the way, watch the race video a few times and tell me how Will Leer accelerates so quickly in the last 40 meters...and how he manages not to lean at the tape, thereby losing fourth to Wheating...



So Wheating, who had skipped the 800 to focus on the 1500, finished in the worst possible position -- fourth -- but wait! Bernard Lagat, who had already made the team by winning the 5000m, announced he would not compete in the 1500m, opening up a spot on the team for Wheating.

So it's Centrowitz, Manzano, and Wheating, right?

Not so fast. None of the three qualifiers has met the "A" standard of 3:35 yet, and they have only until August 8th to do it. While I am no expert in USATF selection procedures, this opens up many possibilities.

If Centro meets the "B" standard (3:38) but not the "A" standard, then I believe he is the only guy who gets to go. If Centro meets the "A" standard, but Manzano doesn't, then I think Centro and Manzano go, and Wheating is left off the team. if Centro and Manzano get the "A" standard, then Wheating is all set, since he has already met the "B" standard.

And what if Centro doesn't get the "A" or "B" standard? I think that means the he doesn't go, and the other chase the standards. That could, conceivably, lead to Manzano, Wheating, and Leer going.

Anyway, the one thing we can be sure of is that -- unlike the championship finals -- in their next 1500m these guys will be running fast from the gun. That's the only way to ensure they can make it to Daegu for another tension-filled tactical race.