Allman overcomes rain, Mboma sets new record, Kenya streak ends

Day 4 of track and field heats up as we see another five finals completed, and the semis prove to be a strong indicator of record-breaking potential.

Event Roundup

Women

Pole vault qualifying

1500m first round

200m first round/semifinal

400m hurdles semifinal

*Discus final

*5000m final

*100m hurdles final

Men

Hammer throw qualifying

400m semifinal

*Long jump final

*Steeplechase final

Women’s Pole Vault (Qualifying)

A good chunk of the day’s events was hammered by rain. By the time vault started, athletes were using towels to cover the ends of their poles and hiding under any spot that was covered to avoid injury and getting soaked.

The pole vault competition was halted for a short while before resuming with a lighter rain. This complicated matters, as you could see Sandi Morris of the U.S. visibly tell the officials “It’s too much” while trying to get them to postpone competition a while longer to wait out the rain.

Morris ended up later snapping her pole and landing in the box a bit awkwardly, and could never seem to mentally or physically recover. Morris unfortunately was unable to clear the 4.55m barrier to qualify and is out of the competition.

U.S. champion Katie Nageotte, world champion Anzhelika Sidorova from the Russian Olympic Committee, defending Olympic champion Katerina Stefanidi from Greece, former world champion Yarisley Silva from Cuba, all qualified into the final.

Women’s 1500m (First round)

I can’t seem to say it enough, but Sifan Hassan is a beast. After jogging most of the 1500m, doing just enough to stay in contention, Haffan was tripped as the bell was sounded for the final lap.

She was able to get up, and in typical fashion, race all the way back up to the lead pack and win her heat. A moment in which we thought it might be over for the historic triple, she proves she’s still just that damn good.

NBC Olympics noted that she ran her final 300m, after falling, in 43.7 seconds!

All three Americans push through to the semis, as well as Faith Kipyegon from Kenya, the defending champion and odds on favorite going into the event. Laura Muir of Great Britain will also make a push for the medals as she advances to the next stage.

Women’s 200m

First round

Just about every name you expect to move into the semis did so. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Jenna Prandini, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Gabby Thomas, Marie-Josee Ta Lou, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Dafne Schippers and the insane youngster from Namibia, Christine Mboma all skate through.

Mboma sped to a 22.11, equalling Allyson Felix's world under-20 record. She a freak.

The only big name missing from qualifying was Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson. Much like we saw with Trayvon Bromell and Randolph Ross in the 100m and 400m opening rounds, she appeared to slow down too much and allowed Italy’s Dalia Kaddari to steal the automatic qualifying spot.

Semifinals

Mboma (the freak from above) took to her semifinal like a bullet out of a gun and snagged the U-20 record right from Allyson Felix. She’s now in sole possession after running 21.97.

I’m becoming less hopeful for American Gabby Thomas as she doesn’t look like she has the same jets down the homestretch as she was when she ran her 21.61 at the U.S. Trials. Mboma seems to track her down each time, but she held on to qualify for the final and show us what she can do not trying to hold back.

Tokyo’s 100m champ, Elaine Thompson-Herah, is one step closer to completing a historic double-double after easily winning her heat in 21.66 and tying her personal best.

The “Pocket Rocket” herself, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, stole her semifinal with a 22.13, just behind Marie-Josee Ta Lou’s 22.11. Shaunae Miller-Uibo moves on as she attempts to double in the 200m and 400m.

American Jenna Prandini was unable to advance with a qualifying spot or on time, having run a 22.57.

Women’s 400m Hurdles (Semifinals)

How Sydney McLaughlin and Dalilah Muhammad can run such quick and easy times in the conditions that were presented today are staggering. Both dropped a comfortable 53 seconds in the 400m hurdles during a huge rainstorm that always looks better on TV than it does in person.

Behind them was the Netherlands badass Femke Bol, the fourth-fastest woman in the event all-time. As we saw in the men’s semifinal, I think we are going to see something very special in the final given the fastest women in history are lining up to take a medal home.

American Anna Cockrell might have something to say about that though. She also made it into the final and undoubtedly hungers to her chance to take what could potentially be a U.S. sweep.

Women’s Discus (Final)

America’s spaghetti-loving record-holder Valarie Allman put herself in the perfect position after a round one throw of 68.98m (). Just after that throw, the rain began pouring down again and many competitors had trouble holding on to the disc.

It wasn’t until a fifth-round throw from Germany’s Kristin Pudenz that any other competitor was within 2 meters of Allman.

Pudenz stole the silver with that throw (66.86m), and Cuban Yaime Perez took home the bronze with 65.72m.

Defending Olympic champion Sandra Perkovic of Croatia was fourth with a throw of 65.01m.

Women’s 5000m (Final)

Sifan Hassan took control at the bell lap and used her signature speed to pull ahead by a two-second margin to capture her first gold of the Games.

She finished with a time of 14:36.79 ahead of Hellen Obiri of Kenya and Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia.

I don’t think anyone didn’t think it was going to be a race for gold between these three women.

Americans Karissa Schweizer (14:55.80) and Elise Cranny (14:55.98) finished 11th and 13th respectively. A great showing for Team USA and a bright future for our distance women.

Women’s 100m Hurdles (Final)

Well, we guessed it, and it wasn’t a stretch to do so. Puerto Rico's Jasmine Camacho-Quinn came in with an Olympic record in the semis to show up in the final poised to take home the gold.

While not quite as fast, her 12.37 was the fourth-fastest time she’s ever run and enough to fend off world record-holder Keni Harrison’s 12.52 for silver. Sweet redemption for Harrison after just missing Rio and watching her teammates sweep the podium the same week she ran the world record at home.

Jamaica’s Megan Tapper grabs the bronze with a 12.55. All three women took home their first Olympic medals and it likely won’t be their last.

Men’s Hammer (Qualifying)

Poland’s Pawel Fajdek took three throws to get him into the final. I’d say that was a bit scary for the four-time world champion, but only two competitors were able to hit the auto qualifying mark, so he was fairly safe. He sits in 9th in the round, but slates are erased when the final begins.

Poland’s other superstar, Wojciech Nowicki finished with the furthest throw of the day with 79.78m. Between he and Fajdek, they share seven world championship medals in the last eight years. So yeah, this is Poland’s thing.

Rudy Winkler, the current U.S. record holder,  finished second overall with 78.81m. Compatriots Clayton Young and Daniel Haugh were unable to advance.

Men’s 400m (Semifinals)

That was a close one. Michael Norman was able to overcome Isaac Makwala for the second auto qualifying spot behind world champion Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas.

It isn’t the final, but from what we’ve seen through the rounds, I’d have to put my money on Steven Gardiner right now. He looks relaxed and under control. Never straining much to win his heats, while Michael Norman is having to put in a bit extra work to make it though.

Kirani James absolutely smashed everyone in this round, crossing in 43.88 which is his fastest time since 2016 and the second-fastest time of the year.

American Michael Cherry is also looking strong and relaxed through the rounds, qualifying for the final with 44.44 in his semifinal heat.

Defending Olympic champion and world record-holder Wayde van Niekerk, finished in fifth place after looking strong through 300m. He doesn’t quite seem back to the monster with no deceleration of old, but he’s performed back at an elite level this year and we should all find that exciting as we head into the World Championships next year. For now, he’s out.

Men’s Long Jump (Final)

The jumps are always a nail-biter. Anything can happen on the final attempts and Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece showed us that trend wasn’t ending today.

On his final attempt, Tentoglou leaped to 8.41m (24 ft, 3.75 in) and tied Cuban Juan Miguel Echevarria. Echevarria had one last attempt to try and take back the lead but pulled up on the runway with an injury. If that wasn’t enough, it went to a countback to break the tie, and Tentoglou was declared the victory with a bigger second-best jump.

Echevarria takes the silver, and his compatriot Maykel Masso takes the bronze with 8.21m.

JuVaughn Harrison of the U.S. secured a fifth-place finish after his seventh place in high jump earlier in the Games. He became the only man to ever qualify for both events, but it’s also one of only four times the U.S. hasn’t medalled in the long jump at the Olympics.  Surely, that streak will end soon as Harrison grows, and others come on the scene.

Men’s Steeplechase (Final)

Morocco’s Soufiane Elbakkali (8:08.90) runs away with the gold about a second and a half in front of Ethiopian Lamecha Girma (8:10.38) and Kenyan Benjamin Kigen (8:11.45).

The three men had separated from the field and made their way over the last barrier in a dead heat to determine the podium positions.

The tradition of Kenyan victory has finally been snapped. While a Kenyan took bronze, Tokyo marks the first time since 1980 that a Kenyan hasn’t left the Olympics with a gold medal in men’s steeplechase.

American Benard Keter, the 29-year-old Kenyan-born was the U.S.’s lone finalist. He finished in eleventh place, crossing the line in a respectable 8:22.12.