[Final report]   [Semifinal reports]   [Heat reports]   [Preview]  

His first title: David Rudisha becomes World Champion. Kaki takes the silver for his first major medal, Borzakovskiy takes yet another bronze medal.

It is not often that 800 m races are run according to the most likely scenarion, but this one in Daegu brought exactly what was anticipated: a win for the favourite, silver for his closest rival. And the winner was, of course, world record holder Rudisha. He was the favourite all season long - his intentions for this season was to become World Champion, and on the night when it really mattered he delivered with total conviction and scored an emphatic victory.

At the start it was surprisingly Mohammed Aman with the fastest start, but as the runners left their lanes Kaki took over the lead for a few seconds before Rudisha commandingly went into the lead. The pace was pretty good but not extremely fast. Rudisha in fact eased off a little bit after the start and so the pack clustered together with Rudisha leading ahead of Kaki, Aman, Yego, Lewandowski and Kszczot with Borzakovskiy and Symmonds at the back. But Borzakovskiy didn't want to leave his move too late this time and moved forward well before the bell, and as Symmonds went with him a bit of pushing ensued, with Borzakovskiy eventually settling between Rudisha and Kaki. Meanwhile they had reached the halfway point in 51.33 which still indicated a fair pace.

On the back straight Rudisha maintained his pace with Borzakovskiy and Kaki following, but behind them a lot of runners were fighting for the better positions. Symmonds tried to get around Lewandowski, Kszczot tried to move forward but had to go around Yego, who was losing ground, Aman was at the back and found it hard to keep the pace, perhaps paying for his early efforts.

As they came around the bend Rudisha went all out and Borzakovskiy and Kaki had to let go. Majestic strides brought Rudisha home in style and he was certain of the gold well ahead of the finish. But both Borzakovskiy and Kaki went still fast enough to keep ahead of the others. Neither Lewandowski nor Symmonds or Kszczot could challenge for a medal. Kaki found just a bit extra over the last 50 m and slowly but surely passed the Russian to make sure of the silver. But Borzakovskiy still scored yet another world championship medal (his fourth!). Lewandowski finished fourth, a visibly disappointed Symmonds came fifth.

So Rudisha succesfully wiped out the bad memories of two years ago, when he just missed the final in Berlin. After the race he said he was content with the race as his plan to keep something back and finish strongly over the last 150 m had worked perfectly. Kaki was far from disappointed and was in fact overjoyed with the first Sudanese medal at a World Championship. And Borzakovskiy observed he felt better than he had done for the last few years. And despite being unable to match Rudisha he was still happy because he felt this had been a perfect preparation for next year.

    Result:
 1. David Rudisha         KEN 1:43.91
 2. Abubaker Kaki         SUD 1:44.41
 3. Yuriy Borzakovskiy    RUS 1:44.49
 4. Marcin Lewandowski    POL 1:44.80
 5. Nick Symmonds         USA 1:45.12
 6. Adam Kszczot          POL 1:45.25
 7. Alfred Kirwa Yego     KEN 1:45.83
 8. Mohammed Aman         ETH 1:45.93

In many tournaments the 800 m semifinals look unbalanced due to the way seedings are mostly based on times run in the heats. This works particularly poorly for the 800 m where races can be tactical (and times therefore meaningless) and the number of runners is relatively small compared to the longer distances. And so semifinal 1 looked very competitive whereas semifinal 3 looked relatively lightweight despite the presence of Rudisha. Only the first two finishers were guaranteed a place in the final. Both Kaki and Rudisha could turn their semis into fast races, which could mean opportunities for two more athletes to qualify from such a heat as fastest losers.

• Semifinal 1
  Abubaker Kaki was the obvious favorite in this heat, but he would have to deal with Marcin Lewandowski and Alfred Kirwa Yego. Then there were the experienced Khadevis Robinson and youthful Mohammed Aman, both of which could surely be very dangerous outsiders. Straight from the gun Kaki sprinted away and not only took the lead but had a huge gap to the others. At the bell he recorded a ridiculously fast 50.19 with Lewandowski, Reina, Aman, Yego and the others well behind. But into the final bend Kaki's lead was shrinking. Although Reina faltered Robinson made a dash forward and Lewandowski was gaining all the time. In the final straight Robinson couldn't stay with the Pole who was catching Kaki who appeared to have little left. Aman came with a terrific sprint finish to catch both Lewandowski and Kaki and at the line the three of them were in a blanket finish with Aman and Lewandowski just nudging ahead of Kaki. Yego was close behind to finish fourth and Robinson came fifth. The semi was so fast that four athletes went below 1:45 with Aman setting a new national record. Kaki and Yego had to wait for the other heats but eventually could breathe a sigh of relief as they qualified as well.

      Result:
   1. Mohammed Aman         ETH 1:44.57 Q 
   2. Marcin Lewandowski    POL 1:44.60 Q
   3. Abubaker Kaki         SUD 1:44.62 q
   4. Alfred Kirwa Yego     KEN 1:44.82 q
   5. Khadevis Robinson     USA 1:45.27 
   6. Andreas Bube          DEN 1:45.48
   7. Sajad Moradi          IRI 1:46.17
   8. Antonio Manuel Reina  ESP 1:48.45 
   

• Semifinal 2
  This semi featured Nick Symmonds and Yuriy Borzakovskiy as most obvious candidates for the final. Jackson Kivuva and Kevin López appeared their most obvious challengers. The start was not very fast and since the first heat had been very fast it was immediately obvious that just two would qualify. Symmonds was in the lead with Osagie, Som, Kivuva and Borzakovskiy close behind as they reached the halfway point in 52.83. Borzakovskiy started to make his move and smoothly went around Osagie to join Symmonds in the lead. Both accelerated towards the finish as the others fell away one by one fell. Kivuva had a promising late sprint on the inside, but ran into the struggling Osagie, had to go around and found his switch to the outer lanes came too late. So Symmonds and Borzakovskiy qualified fairly easily and quite convincingly.

      Result:
   1. Nick Symmonds         USA 1:45.73 Q 
   2. Yuriy Borzakovskiy    RUS 1:45.73 Q 
   3. Jackson Mumbwa Kivuva KEN 1:45.97 
   4. Andrew Osagie         GBR 1:46.12 
   5. Tamás Kazi            HUN 1:46.53 
   6. Bram Som              NED 1:46.69 
   7. Kevin López           ESP 1:46.86 
   8. Prince Mumba          ZAM 1:47.06 
   

• Semifinal 3
  This was David Rudisha's semi. No obvious other medal candidates in this heat, apart perhaps from Adam Kszczot. As expected Rudisha took the lead and kept the pace pretty hard though not as irresponsibly fast as in the first heat. Still they recorded 51.13 at the bell with Rudisha ahead of Davide, Kszczot and Rodriguez. As they went into the back straight Rudisha accelerated and behind him three athletes already dropped off the pack, unable to keep with the pace. After 600 m Rudisha kicked again and this time only Davide and Kszczot were still with the leader. Rudisha continued very impressively and developed a big lead on the final straight finishing in an even faster time then was recorded in the first heat. Kszczot was well clear in second spot to qualify, Davide sprinted to the line hoping for a fast qualifying time but just in vain.

      Result:
   1. David Rudisha         KEN 1:44.20 Q 
   2. Adam Kszczot          POL 1:44.81 Q 
   3. Kleberson Davide      BRA 1:45.06 
   4. Rafith Rodríguez      COL 1:46.41 
   5. Mahfoud Brahimi       ALG 1:46.79 
   6. Luis Alberto Marco    ESP 1:47.45 
   7. Moussa Camara         MLI 1:48.15 
   -  Mohammad Al-Azemi     KUW DNF 
   

So the two real favorites (Rudisha and Kaki) are into their first world final. Borzakovskiy and Yego are there, both men have won a major final before. Symmonds will be there - this might be his big chance for a medal. Two Poles, Kszczot and Lewandowski, both looking dangerous. And finally the young Ethiopian Aman. The final could be very competitive and very fast. Rudisha looks a certain early leader, but without pacemaker, can he sustain it to the finish?

Six heats with seven or eight runners in each heat meant that the top three finishers in each heat were certain to qualify for one of the three semifinals. Six fastest losers would also go through. This pattern usually leads to one or two heats that are much faster than any of the others with most of the athletes from such a fast heat qualifying. The question always is: which athletes will take the initiative to turn a heat into a fast run? The real favorites usually don't, because they trust on finishing in the top three. But some runners are not so sure of claiming a top three finish and might hope for the chance of a fast qualifying time.

• Heat 1
  This heat had Nick Symmonds and Kevin López as definite contenders, with Andrew Ellerton and Mouhcine El Amine as other likely candidates for qualification. It was Moise Joseph however who took the lead and set a fair pace. At the bell it was Joseph in 52.80 leading from López and Bube. On the back straight Symmonds moved forward as Joseph ran out of steam and so it was the Spaniard leading from Symmonds as they came into the final straight. El Amine looked like taking third spot but Andreas Bube produced a fast finish and even passed a tiring López. In the end El Amine was just four hundredths of a second too slow to qualify as well.

      Result:
   1. Nick Symmonds         USA 1:46.54 Q
   2. Andreas Bube          DEN 1:46.64 Q
   3. Kevin López           ESP 1:46.79 Q
   4. Mouhcine El Amine     MAR 1:46.98 q
   5. Andrew Ellerton       CAN 1:47.47
   6. Moise Joseph          HAI 1:48.17
  

• Heat 2
  Yuriy Borzakovskiy and Jackson Kivuva were the main men to watch although both Michael Rimmer and Antonio Reina would surely hope for qualification as well. Prince Mumba took the early lead ahead of Rimmer while Kivuva tailed well behind. They reached the bell at 53.01 and kept a decent pace. Around the final bend Borzakovskiy floated by the leaders and never looked back as he won the race without visible effort. Kivuva ran a strong second lap and went by as well. Reina managed to take third spot as Mumba had to settle for fourth but his time was good enough to go through. Rimmer couldn't find anything extra and only finished a disappointing fifth.

      Result:
   1. Yuriy Borzakovskiy    RUS 1:46.14 Q
   2. Jackson Kivuva        KEN 1:46.53 Q
   3. Antonio Reina         ESP 1:46.66 Q
   4. Prince Mumba          ZAM 1:46.73 q
   5. Michael Rimmer        GBR 1:47.11
   6. Masado Yokota         JPN 1:47.60
  

• Heat 3
  This heat appeared pretty competitive with Abubaker Kaki as obvious favorite but also former World Champion Alfred Kirwa Yego, youthful Mohammed Aman, and Luis Alberto Marco and Fernando da Silva as contenders as well. Kaki resolutely took the lead with Yego and Aman following as they reached the bell in an amazingly fast 50.63. Kaki didn't let off and only Yego and Aman could follow as Kaki finished in a very fast 1:44.83, making this the fastest heat by a big margin. Marco and Moussa Camara finished a distant fourth and fifth, but both qualified as fast losers. Camara improved his own personal best by over two seconds and set a national Malinese record as well.

      Result:
   1. Abubaker Kaki         SUD 1:44.83 Q 
   2. Mohammed Aman         ETH 1:45.17 Q 
   3. Alfred Kirwa Yego     KEN 1:45.50 Q 
   4. Luis Alberto Marco    ESP 1:46.19 q 
   5. Moussa Camara         MLI 1:46.38 q
   6. Ashot Hayrapetyan     ARM 1:50.09
   7. Fernando Da Silva     BRA 1:51.58 
  

• Heat 4
  In this heat David Rudisha should obviously qualify and leave it to the others fight over the remaining places. That fight should include Marcin Lewandowski and Bram Som (the current and a former European Champion) and also perhaps Charles Jock and Mahfoud Brahimi. Rudisha took total control of the race with Som, Jock and Lewandowski following. The bell was reached in a steady 52.55. Rudisha apparently didn't feel the need to spend as much energy as Kaki did one heat earlier and did just enough to win comfortably. Jock could not hold on and lost touch. Lewandowski crept past Som. Brahimi's final efforts came too late to take third spot but his time was just fast enough to qualify as he took the last spot of the fastest losers.

      Result:
   1. David Rudisha         KEN 1:46.29 Q
   2. Marci Lewandowski     POL 1:46.73 Q
   3. Bram Som              NED 1:46.79 Q
   4. Mahfood Brahimi       ALG 1:46.94 q
   5. Charles Jock          USA 1:47.95
   6. Brice Etes            MON 1:48.22
   7. Edgar Cortez          NCA 1:49.10
  

• Heat 5
  No clear favorites in this heat. Adam Kszczot and Kleberson Davide looked among the fastest on paper, but Mohammad Al-Azemi, Sajad Moradi and Andrew Osagie would surely have good chances as well. The pack was quite tight as they reached the bell after 52.75 with Davide and Mutekanga leading. Kszczot came from behind and settled behind Davide with Osagie following. Mutekanga went backwards and was passed by both Moradi and Al-Azemi who were unable to finish inside the top three but both qualified as fast losers anyway.

      Result:
   1. Kleberson Davide      BRA 1:46.06 Q 
   2. Andrew Osagie         GBR 1:46.08 Q 
   3. Adam Kszczot          POL 1:46.16 Q 
   4. Sajad Moradi          IRI 1:46.39 q 
   5. Mohammad Al-Azemi     KUW 1:46.64 q 
   6. Julius Mutekanga      UGA 1:47.54 
   7. Farhan Ahmad          PAK 1:50.14 
  

• Heat 6
  In this final heat the experience of Khadevis Robinson and Ismail Ahmed Ismail could tell but they would face challengers from South America in Lutimar Paes and Rafith Rodríguez. Extra qualification places were on offer if some of the losers in this heat could finish in times somewhere around 1:46.5. No one really wanted to set a decent pace however and they reached the bell in a slow 55.58. Rodríguez was in the lead with five others close behind, but as they went into the last bend Ismail surprisingly could no longer follow and lost touch. Rodríguez hung on to the lead, Kazi finished strongly and Robinson did enough to finish third, but since this was a very slow heat all the others went out.

      Result:
   1. Rafith Rodríguez      COL 1:48.26 Q 
   2. Tamás Kazi            HUN 1:48.29 Q 
   3. Khadevis Robinson     USA 1:48.41 Q 
   4. Daniel Nghipandulwa   NAM 1:48.79  
   5. Lutimar Paes          BRA 1:48.97  
   6. Ismail Ahmed Ismail   SUD 1:52.33  
  

So almost all favorites came through. Kaki ran the fastest time, but ran much quicker than necessary to qualify. Rudisha and Borzakovskiy looked quite comfortable. Ismail and Rimmer were the major casualties, but neither had looked convincing in recent months.

In his glory days Wilson Kipketer was a clear favourite for every 800 m title. Since that era the 800 m has been pretty much wide open for about ten years. But this year we have a hot favourite again - indeed the chances of him not winning look remote. Even more so with two former greats missing. Olympic Champion Wilfred Bungei appears to have concluded his career, reigning World Champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi is injured. From Kenya a number of athletes currently in the seasons top 10 is missing as well: World nr 3 Asbel Kiprop will run the 1500 m, Boaz Lalang and David Mutua didn't make it past the Kenyan trials and at 17 years Leonard Kosencha is probably considered too young yet. Ilham Özbilen (TUR) is a young Kenyan who recently switched nationalities, but he isn't eligible to run for Turkey yet.
But there are plenty of others ready to collect the medals, so let us go through the main candidates.

• David Rudisha (KEN)
  There's no denying this years World Championship 800 m is all about David Rudisha. Two years ago he went out in the semis after heavy rain made the temperature drop spectacularly. Since that unfortunate day he hasn't lost a race, has beaten the World Record twice and has looked totally invincible. He has gone through the heats/semi/final cycle twice, at the Kenyan and African Championships, and won everything with ease. It will be a shock if he does not win.
• Abubaker Kaki (SUD)
  If anyone can challenge Rudisha it surely has to be Kaki. Second fastest for two seasons now, he can beat anyone in any race except perhaps Rudisha. Still, he hasn't yet shown he can endure three races in four days and he is prone to incidents and injuries. But he's still very young, he may well have learned.
• Yuriy Borzakovskiy (RUS)
  Once a young and rising star, Yuriy is now the experienced campaigner. He has several medals to his credit at the World Championships, but despite an Olympic gold a world title is still missing. His talent doesn't shine as regularly these days and it looks unlikely he can really challenge Rudisha or Kaki.
• Nick Symmonds (USA)
  Multiple US champion Symmonds has a lot of experience by now. Certainly a medal candidate.
• Marcin Lewandowski (POL)
  European Champion and a pretty strong tactician. He will look for a slower race. But if both Rudisha and Kaki are in the line-up that looks unlikely.

Who else looks like a candidate for the final?

• Alfred Kirwa Yego (KEN)
  World Champion four years ago. But over the last few years he was less than convincing except for a few sparse occasions. Still third at the Kenyan trials, so he may do well after all.
• Khadevis Robinson (USA)
  Khadevis will usually take the lead, but find himself going backwards in the final straight, especially in a strong field. Now 35 years old he may find it hard to go through three races, but if he can follow someone in a fast semi he may well reach the final.
• Adam Kszczot (POL)
  European indoor champion, and a young and improving runner. Hasn't broken 1:44 yet, but a strong tactician, so in a slower race he can make up for his current lack of speed.
• Jackson Kivuva (KEN)
  Not really an athlete that has made the limelights, but any runner that can finish in the top 3 at the Kenyan trials must be able to do well at a big tournament.

Which athletes could spring a surprise? Bram Som (NED) perhaps, but he doesn't seem to be in the best of form. Michael Rimmer (GBR) seems to have a few problems as well but his compatriot Andrew Osagie (GBR) has improved quite a bit recently. And what about Ismail Ahmed Ismail (SUD)? Silver in Beijing, but where has this tall athlete with the majestic strides been?
The Spaniards send a strong squad with the experienced Antonia Reina, Luis Alberto Marco and the very promising Kevin López, who only just turned 21. From South America there are Kleberson Davide (BRA) and Rafith Rodríguez (COL). The youngest participant, Mohammed Aman (ETH), is only 17 and will be there to learn but at the World Youth Championships he impressively set a new National Senior record, so who knows?