While Kenya were on top in medal terms at 800m and 1500m, we confirm Britain were the most successful country in terms of finalists in Tokyo

Many regard the 800m and 1500m as the most universal of all track and field events, with the widest range of nations when it comes to potential medallists and finalists.

The sprints and hurdles are usually dominated by Americans and Caribbean athletes, while the distance races tend to be won by those born in Africa, but the 1500m sees the best of America, Africa and Europe come together. At the Tokyo Olympics, even Oceania and Asia had a combined total of seven finalists.

What is clear is Kenya still lead the way in these distances in medal terms but Britain are now the second-strongest power overall. Kenya do seem particularly weak at the moment at the women’s 800m where Britain is at its strongest which many believe has been aided by the British Milers’ Club’s work in putting on such a comprehensive race programme.

Below we review the Olympic races in the two middle-distance events in which 43 athletes made the finals out in Japan and 19 different countries were represented.

The strange number of 43 is because of the rather dubious recent habit that athletics has of advancing almost anyone falling over in qualifying rather than relying on athletes’ responsibilities to stay out of trouble and stay upright. It doesn’t happen in cycling.

In terms of medals, Kenya are still a clear top with two golds and two silvers and USA and Norway were the other two gold medallists. Britain are a clear second but are also out front in terms of finalists.

Finalists
1 GBR 7 finalists (3 medals)
2 USA 6 finalists (2 medals)
3 Kenya 5 finalists (4 medals)
4 Australia 5 finalists (no medals)
5 Spain 4 finalists (no medals)
6 Poland 2 finalists (1 medal)
7 Ethiopia 2 finalists (no medals)
8 Norway 1 finalist (1 medal)
9 Netherlands 1 finalist (1 medal)
10= 9 countries* 1 finalist (no medal)
* (China, Jamaica, Bosnia & H, France, Botswana, Canada, Uganda, Japan, Czech Republic)

Of course it could have been even better as in the 800m two Britons came very close to making the final.

Women’s 1500m
Olympic review
Faith Kipyegon has to be the greatest women’s 1500m runner in history – strong, fast and tactically astute and now a double champion. A 28.3 200m between 1200m and 1400m is truly extraordinary in such a fast-run race. The Kenyan though had a relatively easy job following a possibly slightly weary Sifan Hassan who may have fared better by saving energy and using the kick she showed in the 5000m and 10,000m. Laura Muir ran brilliantly and also picked off a tired Hassan with her greatest ever race as she smashed the British record with a 2:02.9 final 800m off an already quick pace.

                    Faith Kipyegon              Laura Muir

100m            15.7                                     15.7
200m            31.2 (15.5)                         31.5 (15.8)
300m           46.7 (15.5)                         46.7 (15.2)
400m            63.0 (16.3)                        63.1 (16.4)
500m            79.2 (16.2)                        79.4 (16.3)
600m             1:35.4 (16.2)                     1:35.7 (16.3)
700m             1:51.3 (15.9)                      1:51.6 (15.9)
800m            2:07.1 (15.8)                     2:07.5 (15.9)
900m            2:22.8 (15.7)                     2:23.0 (15.5)
1000m          2:38.4 (15.6)                     2:38.6 (15.6)
1100m           2:54.0 (15.6)                     2:54.2 (15.6)
1200m           3:09.5 (15.5)                     3:09.7 (15.5)
1300m           3:23.6 (14.1)                      3:24.0 (14.3)
1400m           3:37.8 (14.2)                     3:38.8 (14.8)
1500m           3:53.11 (15.3)                    3:54.50 (15.7)

The British scene
13 British women have been inside 4:10 this summer but only one was inside 4:00 (and 3:55 at that) and collectively this did not compare in international terms to the women’s 800m not helped by Jemma Reekie focussing on the shorter event and Melissa Courtney-Bryant’s and Sarah McDonald’s injuries.

Laura Muir: Finally got the global medal she coveted and most definitely deserved with a perfect run. The average of her 10 best marks is now 3:56.658 and no other Briton has run faster than Kelly Holmes’ former UK record of 3:57.90 from her Athens gold medal run. Muir has run seven 1500m races including heats in 2021 and averaged inside four minutes for the lot of them.

Eilish McColgan: She has now run in the Olympics at 5000m, 10,000m and steeplechase and is good enough to run 1500m in Paris but more likely to be doing the marathon. She has run three 1500s in 2021 with a best of 4:02.12 for sixth in Florence.

Katie Snowden: Started 2021 with a 4:05.29 PB and, moving up a level, beat that mark four times including a 4:02.77 PB in the Olympic heats and then 4:02.93 in the semi-final which wasn’t quite enough to make the final.

Jemma Reekie: 4:00.65 indoors during a mile last year indicates huge potential but focused on 800m and only ran one race – a 4:05.09 in the USA.

Revee Walcott-Nolan: Another moving to new ground. Won the trials without a qualifying time but runs including a 4:06.28 elsewhere got her a world ranking invite and in Tokyo she improved her PB to 4:06.23 in the heats which narrowly failed to advance her.

The best of the rest:
Ellie Baker: With team places maybe easier here than at 800m, her recent 4:06.54 PB win at Watford has increased her future options and looks to have sub-four potential.
Adelle Tracey: Just lost to Baker in Watford in 4:06.56 and is another who could move up.
Holly Archer: European Indoor silver and, though consistent at sub-4:10, did not really advance significantly outdoors with a 4:07.20 PB in the USA.
Erin Wallace: No fast times yet (4:08.10 PB at Watford in June) but was second in the Trials and won bronze at the European U23 Championships in Tallinn.
Jess Judd: Focused on her Olympic distances of 5000m and 10,000m but won an early season BMC race in 4:07.92, four seconds outside her four-year-old PB.

Women’s 800m
Olympic review
With her 49-second 400m speed, it’s difficult to know how to beat America’s Athing Mu as she also looks strong and tactically astute. She did look vulnerable indoors when she lost the NCAA 400m to an inferior runner but she was brilliant in Tokyo controlling from the front and added a relay gold with a 48.32 leg. Fellow teenager Keely Hodgkinson – Britain’s greatest ever Olympic performance by a teenager? – also ran superbly fast and was faultless tactically too.

             Athing Mu     Keely Hodgkinson
100m    13.5                    14.0
200m    27.4 (13.9)       27.7 (13.7)
300m    42.7 (15.3)       43.2 (15.5)
400m    57.9 (15.2)       58.4 (15.2)
500m    72.8 (14.9)       73.6 (15.2)
600m    1:27.2 (14.4)    1:27.6 (14.0)
700m    1:41.2 (14.0)    1:41.7 (14.1)
800m   1:55.21 (14.0)   1:55.88 (14.2)

The British scene
Based on the Olympics alone, this is now Britain’s strongest event with three in seven and in ranking list terms too with four in 13. Six sub-twos this summer is unprecedented and five others have run sub-2:02. The new World Athletics world rankings has Britain one and two.

Keely Hodgkinson: European Indoor champion and Olympic silver medallist but the most amazing thing is her Tokyo time was 5.28 seconds faster than her pre-2021 best and she was already very, very good in 2020!

Jemma Reekie: For 750m it looked as if she had run a perfect race but just tied up in last 50 metres, running aggressively throughout. She narrowly lost out on bronze but still ran a great 1:56.90 PB. Her top 10 average is now 1:58.475 and sub-two clockings have been commonplace of late and her high-level consistency has her currently top of World Athletics global rankings.

Laura Muir: Temporarily was planning to run two laps in Japan after a third in the Trials but decided to focus on 1500m and then in her next race beat many Olympic medal prospects with a staggering 1:56.73 PB. Her top 10 average is just short of Reekie’s at 1:58.642.

Alex Bell: When she was a well beaten fifth in the Trials her Olympic dream looked over but proved a stunning sub for Muir and followed up a 1:58.34 PB at Trafford with a brilliant seventh in Japan in 1:57.66 and now ranks sixth all-time in the UK. Fifth in Britain and seventh in the world sums up British power.

Ellie Baker: Fourth in the European Indoors and a 1:59.54 PB in the summer and also gained a European Team Championships and overall BMC Grand prix win as she enjoyed a huge advance in results.

The best of the rest:
Adelle Tracey: set a PB 1:59.50 in May but only sixth in the Trials and failed to build on that promising start.
Isabelle Boffey: A European Indoor finalist but more importantly went on to win the European U23s with a tactical masterclass and improved to 2:01.24 but only sixth in the Trials.
Hannah Seagrave: US-based runner had a 2:01.33 season’s best and did not show her 2:00.18 form from 2019.
Katy-Ann McDonald: The 2018 World U20 finalist and former English National cross-country age group winner enjoyed a breakthrough over two laps with a 2:01.67 in the NCAA qualifier but was disqualified in the final.

Men’s 1500m
Olympic review
Twelve times Timothy Cheruiyot had previously beaten Jakob Ingebrigtsen with no reply but though the Norwegian ran a fast opening lap, the Kenyan decided he should go even quicker and instead of weakening the opposition with blazing pace he weakened himself. He was still exceptional but barely able to hold on to silver. Revelling in such a fast-paced run, Ingebrigtsen was incredible with his Olympic record and will clearly go much faster in the future. Josh Kerr also ran the race of his life having to come from a long way back (his last 1200m was faster than Ingebrigtsen) and just missed the British record. In terms of time the time difference between the winner and third place is largely due to that very slow second 100m!

                     Jakob Ingebrigtsen         Josh Kerr

100m            14.1                                           13.8
200m            27.8 (13.7)                              28.7 (14.9)
300m            42.0 (14.2)                             42.9 (14.2)
400m             56.2 (14.2)                             57.3 (14.3)
500m             70.5 (14.3)                             71.3 (14.0)
600m              84.3 (13.8)                            85.3 (14.0)
700m              1:38.2 (13.9)                         1:39.2 (13.9)
800m             1:52.0 (13.8)                        1:53.2 (14.0)
900m             2:06.1 (14.1)                         2:07.2 (14.0)
1000m           2:20.0 (13.9)                        2:21.3 (14.1)
1100m            2:33.9 (13.9)                        2:34.9 (13.6)
1200m            2:47.5 (13.6)                        2:48.4 (13.5)
1300m            3:01.2 (13.7)                        3:01.9 (13.5)
1400m           3:14.7 (13.5)                         3:15.4 (13.5)
1500m           3:28.32 (13.6)                      3:29.05 (13.7)

The British scene
Twelve runners sub-3:38 is a healthy stat and now Britain has an Olympic male medallist for the first time since 1988.

Josh Kerr: Good early season though lightly-raced and not convincing in his 7th placing Tokyo heat, he got better as the Games went on finishing with a time well inside the previous Olympic record and just missed out on a silver as he moved through the field throughout after a relative slow start compared to the top two.

Jake Wightman: looked superb in his Olympic semi-final (first in a season’s best 3:33.48) but seemed to pay in 1500m final for moving up fast from 700m to 800m (13.5 for a 1:52.5) but that seemingly finished him off and he drifted back to tenth in 3:35.09.

Jake Heyward: Won his Tokyo heat in 3:36.14 and then a PB 3:32.82 in his semi-final to just miss Kerr’s GB under-23 record and a fine ninth in the final as he made huge progress in 2021.

Elliot Giles: With a 3:33.80 at 1500m and a 3:52.49 mile this season and a BMC final victory might he go much quicker in future if he focuses more on the longer distances?

Charlie Da’Vall Grice: Ran 3:33.81 in May but never really built on it and the 3:30.62 performer and 2016 Olympic finalist never really challenged for a team spot in a slow tactical race and was fifth in Manchester.

The best of the rest
Piers Copeland: A disappointing 10th in the trials but did improve to 3:34.62 in Marseille.
James West: Did run a 3:35.59 in Eugene but otherwise didn’t look at his very best – missing out on the NCAA final – and was back in sixth in the Trials.
Neil Gourley: The world finalist ran 3:35.79 indoors but injury kept him from having a tilt at an Olympic spot.
George Mills: The 2020 British champion ran a 3:36.31 PB and was fifth in the European Under-23s, a position he matched in the Trials.
James Young: American-based, he won the NCAA Division 2 race and English Champs and his 3:37.72 PB in April was seven seconds quicker than he had run before 2021.
Joshua Lay: Surprisingly ran the 800m in the Trials and a 3:37.90 season’s best was down on his PB, he did set a mile best of 3:56.31 and finish eighth in the Euro U23s at Tallinn.

Men’s 800m
Olympic review
There are no prizes for fast times and Emmanuel Korir ran the perfect race, well-positioned and using his considerable 44.21 400m speed. It is irrelevant that Peter Snell ran virtually the same time on cinders in Tokyo 1964 but a nice fact. However, apart from Kenya and Patryk Dobek (a 48.40 400m hurdler) who looked like he ran for third, the rest of the field must have gone home disappointed in not making a true-run 800m. Peter Bol aside, the rest of the field made zero contribution or impact but maybe were unlucky with their positioning as the finishing splits were moderate and don’t reflect a fast track, faster spikes and higher standards.

Emmanuel Korir
100m 12.8
200m 24.9 (12.1)
300m 39.6 (14.7)
400m 54.0 (14.4)
500m 67.3 (13.3)
600m 1:19.8 (12.5)
700m 1:32.3 (12.5)
800m 1:45.06 (12.8)

The British scene
Incredibly a record 14 Britons have broken 1:46 this summer and that doesn’t include World finalist Kyle Langford.

Elliot Giles: His best season yet and looked stronger than ever with an Emsley Carr Mile win ahead of two future Olympic finalists. A British and European indoor record 1:43.63 was followed up by a 1:44.05 outdoor PB and after the Olympics he had seven sub 1:45s and two near misses. His one weakness in his strength though came in the last 30 metres of a bravely-run Tokyo semi-final where Amel Tuka caught him having trailed the Briton all season.

Daniel Rowden: Injury may prevented him being at his very fittest but he still came agonisingly close to making the final with a season’s best and near PB of 1:44.35 as he was unable to find a clear passage in the finishing straight. His fourth place time gives him the unwanted record of setting the fastest Olympic time to not qualify.

Max Burgin: Sadly he has had only had one race in 2021 back in May at Ostrava but it was a good one as his European under-20 record of 1:44.14 which was then a world lead easily beat two future Olympic finalists (Dobek and Tuka) as well as Wightman. Much more to come if he can stay injury-free for longer as he did miss the peak of the 2019 season too.

Oliver Dustin: The 2019 European junior champion in Burgin’s absence was lightly raced and possibly sidetracked by a media controversy out of his hands, he stunned with a British under-23 record and world lead when he won in Nice in 1:43.82 well ahead of Olympic finalist Gabriel Tual and Giles. He finished a very close second to Giles in the Trials but then did not race again until Tokyo over a month later and a 1:46.94 heat did not reflect his ability.

Jamie Webb
More races than most of his British rivals combined – including indoors – 17 800m races up to mid-July. A 1:44.54 PB indoors and a European indoor medal was possibly not quite matched outdoors though he did set a 1:44.14 PB in Chorzow in June but was only fifth in the trials.

The best of the rest
Archie Davis: a stunning two second PB of 1:44.72 in the B race for a supposed 1500m specialist.
Jake Wightman: only two 800m races in 2021 but both mid 1:45s including a European Team victory.
Charlie DaVall Grice: 1:45s indoors and out for another 1500m specialist.
Josh Kerr: 1:45.74 in his only 800m.
Piers Copeland: one 800m in 2021 and ran a 1:45.77 PB.
Finley Mclear: NCAA indoor silver and an outdoor finalist at NCAAs and European under-23s with a 1:45.80 PB.
Ben Pattison: BMC final winner was a fast-finishing fourth in the trials with a PB 1:45.93 a position he matched in the Euro U23s. He improved to 1:45.70 at Szczecin on August 15.
Thomas Randolph: A fast finishing bronze medallist in Talinn in a PB 1:46.41, he had never broken 1:46 until he ran 1:44.98 to win in Lahti on August 19.