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2011 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 1500 metres

Events at the
2011 World Championships
Athletics pictogram.svg
Track events
100 m   men   women
200 m men women
400 m men women
800 m men women
1500 m men women
5000 m men women
10,000 m men women
100 m hurdles women
110 m hurdles men
400 m hurdles men women
3000 m
steeplechase
men women
4 × 100 m relay men women
4 × 400 m relay men women
Road events
Marathon men women
20 km walk men women
50 km walk men
Field events
Long jump men women
Triple jump men women
High jump men women
Pole vault men women
Shot put men women
Discus throw men women
Javelin throw men women
Hammer throw men women
Combined events
Heptathlon women
Decathlon men

The Men's 1500 metres at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Daegu Stadium on August 30 and September 1 & 3.

In the heats, Mehdi Baala, who has a history of this sort of incident, fell flat on his face as the final sprint began. He was eventually advanced by the referees to the semi-finals, where he qualified for the final.

The first semi-final went out slowly and was a strategic race with a bunch finish. Defending champion Yusuf Saad Kamel finished 6th in that semi and failed to make the time qualifier. The second semi went out on a decidedly faster pace bringing the time qualifiers along with the automatic qualifiers. Previous silver medalist Deresse Mekonnen was left behind in the final kick. With Bernard Lagat opting to run the 5,000 metres, no returning medalists made the final, though all current Olympic medalists did make the final.

The final went out at 4 minute mile pace, with Nick Willis leading Matthew Centrowitz and the pack through a 60 second 400, slowing to almost 2:02 by 800. Shortly after that, the Kenyans Asbel Kiprop and Silas Kiplagat moved to the front, chased by Mekonnen Gebremedhin and much of the pack swallowed the early leaders. Centrowitz stepped to the side and followed. As the pack tried to jockey for position, Kiprop refused to relinquish the lead along the rail, even as teammate Kiplagat took the lead on the outside during the backstretch. Kiprop and then Kiplagat continued that way to the finish. Abdalaati Iguider stayed a step behind Kiprop and was in third coming down the home stretch. As he faded, Centrowitz, who had come around the outside followed by Manuel Olmedo moved back up to finish third.

Qualification: First 6 in each heat (Q) and the next 6 fastest (q) advance to the semifinals.


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