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

Fiegen (636), Ellis (403), Milkevics (619) and Som (678) all lunge desperately for the finish

A tactical race was expected and a tight finish anticipated, and the 800m final delivered exactly that. Less than 0.15 seconds made the difference between gold and a disappointing fourth place. And although speed and endurance are always useful, tactical awareness turned out to be just as important.

The race was never expected to be fast, so it was a bit of a surprise that Milkevics was apparently happy to take the lead and set a decent if not spectacular pace. The bell was reached in 53.07, Som, Rimmer and Longo were following the leader, Lacasse and Fiegen right behind them with Ellis and Quesada bringing up the rear. In the back straight Fiegen and Lacasse moved forward on the outside. With Milkevics tiring slightly the first five were all very close and Rimmer unluckily bumped into Som - the Dutchman nearly fell but was just able to keep going, but Rimmer lost his rhythm and hardly played any further part in the race. Around the bend Fiegen was shoulder to shoulder with the Latvian while Som and Lacasse were right behind them. Lacasse was on the outside, ready to strike, but couldn't find anything extra. Som was on the inside, waiting for a gap that never seemed to come. Fifty meters out Milkevics eventually drifted slightly to the outside and Som grabbed his chance and immediately squeezed through the narrowest of gaps, carefully avoiding any contact by holding his right arm up high. Milkevics arms swung out a bit though and Som lost his balance, having to take two steps on the grass with his left foot. With a final acceleration he passed Milkevics and in the last few metres he was just able to outlean Fiegen on the line. Ellis made a late run forward and as Milkevics was slowing they had another minor bump before the Englishman threw himself forward to deprive the Latvian even of the bronze medal. Lacasse had given up a few seconds earlier which allowed Quesada to move up to fifth place. Longo and Rimmer finished seventh and eighth respectively.

After the race Bram Som was happy and carefree. He felt the last 50 metres had been just crazy, and although gaps will always be there this time it had been really tight. He didn't feel he had anything to worry about, since there is always some pushing in a close 800m race. He also felt he might as well make a protest himself since he was nearly brought down after 600.
A protest was nevertheless launched by the Latvians, because of Som's two steps on the grass, and Som must have been really worried as it took a long time before it was eventually decided that the result should stand and that Bram Som was the first Dutch European Champion since 1982.

Which also meant that David Fiegen had to be content with the silver. No hard feelings from him though. He was happy enough to go down in history as the first athlete from Luxembourg to get a medal of any colour at the European Championships. Although he declared he thought he was going to win it 20 metres before the finish he felt happy for his good friend Bram. And Sam Ellis was over the moon with his bronze medal at his first major championship. His tactics of keeping quiet until the final straight had worked out perfectly.

   Result:
1  Bram Som                NED 1:46.56
2  David Fiegen            LUX 1:46.59
3  Sam Ellis               GBR 1:46.64
4  Dmitrijs Milkevics      LAT 1:46.70
5  Miguel Quesada          ESP 1:46.91
6  Florent Lacasse         FRA 1:46.95
7  Andrea Longo            ITA 1:47.11
8  Michael Rimmer          GBR 1:47.66

From both semifinals the first three would qualify automatically. Two fastest losers would also make it to the final.

• Semifinal 1
  Lacasse found himself in the lead after 200m but the pace was far from exciting. At the bell Som came next to the Frenchman, but the time was only 56.56, so it looked unlikely that more than three athletes would qualify from this heat. Lacasse and Som kept the lead, with Ellis and Formela following. After 600 both Lacasse and Som gradually accelerated with Ellis barely able to keep with them. Into the home straight Lacasse and Som looked very comfortable and both made it very easily into the final. Ellis faced a late challenge from Olmedo but with a late effort he could just hang on to third spot. Despite the moderate pace no other athlete was able to come close to the leaders, and all of them went out.

     Result:
  1  Florent Lacasse         FRA 1:49.12 Q 
  2  Bram Som                NED 1:49.15 Q 
  3  Sam Ellis               GBR 1:49.23 Q 
  4  Manuel Olmedo           ESP 1:49.37 
  5  Thomas Matthys          BEL 1:49.65 
  6  Miroslaw Formela        POL 1:49.70 
  7  Juan de Dios Jurado     ESP 1:50.11 
  8  Josef Repcík            SVK 1:50.89
  

• Semifinal 2
  The pace was set by Aritkulov and they reached the bell at 52.00, which made it almost certain five would qualify from this heat. Aritkulov kept the lead with Fiegen, Rimmer and Krzosek following, but around the bend Claesson and Milkevics moved around while Longo and Quesada both squeezed through on the inside. For a brief moment coming into the straight all eight athletes ran within a meter of each other. Aritkulov was fading, Claesson found his burst had taken too much out of him. Eventually Quesada and Longo looked strong, Milkevics eased up when he saw his third place was no longer under threat. Fiegen managed to come fourth, Rimmer looked in real trouble keeping up but could just grab the final qualification place.

     Result:
  1  Miguel Quesada          ESP 1:47.12 Q 
  2  Andrea Longo            ITA 1:47.20 Q 
  3  Dmitrijs Milkevics      LAT 1:47.35 Q 
  4  David Fiegen            LUX 1:47.50 q 
  5  Michael Rimmer          GBR 1:47.82 q 
  6  Grzegorz Krzosek        POL 1:48.11
  7  Mattias Claesson        SWE 1:48.27
  8  Ramil Aritkulov         RUS 1:48.42
  

So the main favourites are now probably Lacasse, Som and Milkevics, they all looked quite comfortable. There will be two British runners in the final (which hasn't happened for some time) but both Ellis and Rimmer had to dig really deep to get this far. Longo has already seen an Olympic and World Championship final, so he will be the most experienced athlete in the final. For Fiegen on the other hand the final will be new territory. The Spaniards didn't have a great day, with two of their three runners going out, but at least Quesada won his semifinal.

All eight runners will fancy their chances to medal. No one in the heats or in the semifinals has been ready to set any decent pace. So the final looks likely to be quite slow, very tactical and it will probably all come down to being in the right spot after 700m to put in a final decisive burst on the home straight.

There were four heats. From each heat three runners would move directly into the semis, with the four fastest losers also qualifying. Mehdi Baala decided not to go for the 800/1500 double and did not start.

• Heat 1
  It was Fiegen who took the early lead ahead of Lacasse and Ellis. The first lap took a moderate 53.50. At 600 Ellis accelerated into the lead, Lacasse and Quesada followed while Fiegen appeared in trouble. Into the home straight Ellis was weakening, Lacasse looked comfortable and Fiegen found something extra and passed Quesada again. Ellis looked safe for the third spot, but eased up too early and the Spaniard went past him just inches before the finish. Both Ellis and Claesson eventually qualified as fastest losers though.

     Result:
  1  Florent Lacasse         FRA 1:47.22 Q 
  2  David Fiegen            LUX 1:47.41 Q 
  3  Miguel Quesada          ESP 1:47.70 Q 
  4  Sam Ellis               GBR 1:47.72 q 
  5  Mattias Claesson        SWE 1:47.82 q 
  6  Selahattin Çobanoglu    TUR 1:49.07
  7  Efthímios Papadópoulos  GRE 1:49.36   
  

• Heat 2
  After a hesitant start with lots of athletes looking around to see who would set the pace Campbell went to the front and took the pack out in a decent 52.95 for the first 400. Rimmer and Longo moved to the front, and Rimmer took the lead as Campbell faded after 600. Rimmer looked strong, Som followed and easily passed Longo on the inside. Formela made a late run and pipped the Italian on the line, but both he and Aritkulov qualified as fastest losers.

     Result:
  1  Michael Rimmer          GBR 1:47.10 Q 
  2  Bram Som                NED 1:47.26 Q 
  3  Miroslaw Formela        POL 1:47.39 Q 
  4  Andrea Longo            ITA 1:47.40 q 
  5  Ramil Aritkulov         RUS 1:47.69 q 
  6  Dave Campbell           IRL 1:48.70   
  7  Björn Margeirsson       ISL 1:49.91
  

• Heat 3
  With Baala not starting this heat looked to be relatively easy. A quick time would see most of the athletes qualify, and Herms went confidently into the lead. At the bell they clocked 52.80, the fastest heat so far. Around the final bend Herms, Bobbato, Milkevics and Jurado were bunched together, but it was Nesterov who sprinted past and took the lead into the home straight. Milkevics and Jurado followed as Herms faded badly and finished last. Nesterov couldn't sustain his pace either and went backwards as well so it was Krzosek who managed to take the third automatic spot into the semis. The second lap was rather slow, so no fastest losers could qualify from this heat.

     Result:
  1  Dmitrijs Milkevics      LAT 1:47.84 Q 
  2  Juan de Dios Jurado     ESP 1:47.89 Q 
  3  Grzegorz Krzosek        POL 1:48.08 Q 
  4  Maurizio Bobbato        ITA 1:48.21
  5  Ivan Nesterov           RUS 1:48.22  
  6  René Herms              GER 1:48.67   
  

• Heat 4
  The athletes knew that even a moderately fast time (low 1:46) could see a lot of the fastest losers coming from this heat. Nobody was willing to set a decent pace though. Eventually Matthys was a reluctant leader, but 56.29 at the bell meant that the four fastest losers so far could all breathe a sigh of relief since their places were safe - this heat was just about the first three. Olmedo and Hill took over, with Bogdanov following. At 600 Repcík made a swift move and accelerated away. Hill and then Olmedo went after him. In the final straight Hill faded and Matthys sprinted past on the inside and Bogdanov on the outside. Matthys almost ran into Repcík who was hanging on but managed to just avoid him and stay ahead of the Russian who surprisingly went out.

     Result:
  1  Manuel Olmedo           ESP 1:49.54 Q 
  2  Josef Repcík            SVK 1:49.63 Q 
  3  Thomas Matthys          BEL 1:49.76 Q 
  4  Dmitriy Bogdanov        RUS 1:49.85   
  5  Thomas Chamney          IRL 1:50.12   
  6  Richard Hill            GBR 1:50.26   
  7  Lee Taylor              GIB 1:56.06   
  

So the heats definitely caused a few major upsets. Herms out, Bogdanov out, Hill out. Bad day for the Russians, with just Aritkulov narrowly surviving. Lacasse, Rimmer, Som and Milkevics gave the best impression, and they look real contenders for the medals. Nobody looks a definite favourite for the gold though. It's still anybody's championship.

Forget the familiar names, forget the champions of the last few years. They have all retired, are injured or simply chose not to take part. Wilson Kipketer, European Champion of 2002 has retired. André Bucher and Nils Schumann took silver and bronze that year, but it looks doubtful whether either of them will ever reach international level again. Yuriy Borzakowski would be favourite, but inexplicably he has decided not to take part. Antonio Reina hasn't run all year, Pawel Czapiewski is nowhere near the form that made him world class a few years ago, Aissat and Okken, finalists four years ago, are absent as well.

So Sweden will see new reputations being built. New names will make the headlines, new stars will be born. Only a few participants have ever made a major final. So experience will hardly be a factor this year. No one can rely on reputation, many athletes will fancy their chances to score their first international medal.

The major candidates for the medals would appear to be:

• Dmitriy Milkevics (LAT)
  Fastest European so far in 2006, and the only one to break 1:44 (in Athens). He was second in Oslo but hasn't yet shown real consistency.
• Bram Som (NED)
  He was already a finalist in 2002 and after a few lean years he appears to be back to his old level. He holds the second fastest time by any European and looked to be doing really well just before the Championships.
• Dmitriy Bogdanov (RUS)
  Third fastest European, who at 27 enjoys a really good season. He finally broke the 1:45 barrier earlier this year. He is also familiar with winning, as he became European Indoor Champion in 2005
• René Herms (GER)
  The only other participant (apart from Som) who made the 2002 final. Since then major successes have eluded him, but he looks to be in the right shape at the right moment.
• Juan De Dios Jurado (ESP)
  The experienced Spaniard can show a bronze medal from the 2005 European Indoor Championships in Madrid. At 25 this might he his big chance.
• Mehdi Baala (FRA)
  Mostly a 1500m specialist, Baala took the opportunity to run the 800 at the 2005 WC after his early elimination in the 1500 and reached the final. On paper he has the fastest PB, but he hasn't run any 800m race so far this year. Whether he will run the 800 as well the 1500 remains to be seen.

Many athletes in Göteborg are as yet almost unknown but could score their first major success here. Among them Florent Lacasse (FRA), who has been on the verge of breaking through for many years now. With the Olympics in London in 2012 we may expect a new generation of British middle distance runners to do well, and Michael Rimmer, Richard Hill and Sam Ellis could all cause a major surprise. David Fiegen (LUX) recently improved his national record. Andrea Longo (ITA) is probably the most experienced man in the field. He has made several major finals, but at 31 may not have that stamina anymore. Finally there are two more competitive Spaniards (Miguel Quesada and Manual Olmedo), two strong Russians (Ivan Nesterov and Ramil Aritkulov, and a promising young Belgian (Thomas Matthys).