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August 07, 2021
Rupp 8th in men’s marathon to close out Olympic Games
SAPPORO -- Humid conditions that caused more than a quarter of the starters to eventually drop out couldn’t hold back the world’s best marathoners in the closing event of the Olympic Games as Olympic medalist
Galen Rupp
ran a spirited race to claim eighth as the top American finisher, behind Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge in first.
Wedged into the middle of a large pack through 5km, Rio bronze medalist Rupp (Portland, Oregon / USATF Oregon) went through the first major split in 15:19 and stayed in the midst of the group of 50+ men through the next five kilometers to clock 30:53 at 10km. The oldest man in the field at age 44 and in his fifth Olympic Games,
Abdi Abdirahman
(Tucson, Arizona / USATF Arizona) was at the rear of the lead pack in 30:55. Trials runner-up
Jake Riley
(Boulder, Colorado / USATF Colorado) was 29 seconds back in 31:22.
Rupp was running off the shoulder of world record holder Kipchoge and covered the next 5K in 15:11 and was near the front at 15km in 46:04, 13 seconds up on Abdirahman and 39 ahead of Riley. No real change happened in the lead group over the next 5km, and Rupp passed the marker in 1:01:47, a 15:43 segment. Riley was 44th in 1:02:27, with Abdirahman 51st in 1:02:33.
At the halfway point Rupp was at 1:05:16, Riley at 1:05:56 and Abdirahman 1:06:17, and there were still more than 30 men in contention. Traversing 5km in 15:37, Rupp cruised past 25km in 1:17:24 and the gap back to Riley was the same as before. Abdirahman was dropping off just slightly and was 52nd in 1:18:54.
Starting to break the lead group down even more over the following 5km with an increased tempo by Kipchoge, Rupp and two other Kenyans, there were only 12 men in contact. Rupp yielded his spot near the front and dropped to the back of the lead pack as the group went into almost double file behind Kipchoge. A 15:08 5km had Rupp in eighth at 1:32:32, one second adrift of Kipchoge, and there were 11 men within striking distance. Riley had moved up nine places into 24th in 1:34:00 with a 15:56 split, and Abdirahman also improved to 45th in 1:35:40.
Kipchoge surged ahead with about 12km remaining to open a notable gap to the next runners, with Rupp not able to match the new pace and falling well off medal contention. No one was able to stay near Kipchoge as he continued to put the hammer down and went five seconds clear. Rupp was 1:07 behind Kipchoge in ninth after a 15:34 5km. Riley improved a few more places to 20th in 1:50:08, and Abdirahman picked off one runner to take over 44th in 1:52:47.
Coming into the final stage of the race and a place in the history books, Kipchoge clocked 14:56 to pass 40km in 2:01:55, 1:17 ahead of his nearest four challengers, and crossed the finish line in 2:08:38 for gold.
Rupp was eighth at 40K in 2:04:27 and stayed in that place to finish in 2:11:41. Riley finished 26th in 2:16:26, and Abdirahman completed the race in 2:18:27 for 41st, 21 years after his first Olympic race over 10,000m at Sydney.
Full session results are available on the World Athletics
website
.Team USATF captain
Kara Winger has been selected as Team USA flag bearer at Closing Ceremony
, which will begin Sunday at 7 A.M. ET on Peacock TV.
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USATF Medal Count (26)
Gold (7)
Women’s Discus Throw - Valarie Allman
Women’s 800m - Athing Mu
Women’s 400m Hurdles - Sydney McLaughlin
Men’s Shot Put - Ryan Crouser
Women’s Pole Vault - Katie Nageotte
Women’s 4x400m Relay - Sydney McLaughlin, Allyson Felix, Dalilah Muhammad, Athing Mu (Prelims: Kaylin Whitney, Wadeline Jonathas, Kendall Ellis, Lynna Irby)
Men’s 4x400m Relay - Michael Cherry, Michael Norman, Bryce Deadmon, Rai Benjamin (Prelims: Trevor Stewart, Randolph Ross, Bryce Deadmon, Vernon Norwood)
Silver (12)
Women’s Shot Put – Raven Saunders
Men’s 100m – Fred Kerley
Women’s 100m Hurdles - Keni Harrison
Women’s Long Jump - Brittney Reese
Men’s 400m Hurdles - Rai Benjamin
Men’s Pole Vault - Chris Nilsen
Women’s 400m Hurdles - Dalilah Muhammad
Women’s 3,000m Steeplechase - Courtney Frerichs
Men’s 200m - Kenny Bednarek
Men’s 110m Hurdles - Grant Holloway
Men’s Shot Put - Joe Kovacs
Women’s 4x100m - Javianne Oliver, Teahna Daniels, Jenna Prandini, Gabby Thomas (Prelims: Javianne Oliver, Teahna Daniels, English Gardner, Aleia Hobbs)
Bronze (7)
4x400m Mixed Relay – Trevor Stewart, Kendall Ellis, Kaylin Whitney, Vernon Norwood (Prelims: Elija Godwin, Lynna Irby, Taylor Manson, Bryce Deadmon)
Women’s 800m - Raevyn Rogers
Women’s 200m - Gabby Thomas
Men’s 200m - Noah Lyles
Men’s 5,000m - Paul Chelimo
Women’s 400m - Allyson Felix
Women’s Marathon - Molly Seidel
World Records (1)
Women’s 400m Hurdles - Sydney McLaughlin (51.46)
American Records (3)
Men’s 400m Hurdles - Rai Benjamin (46.17)
Women’s 800m - Athing Mu (1:55.21)
Women’s 400m Hurdles - Sydney McLaughlin (51.46)
Olympic Records (1)
Men’s Shot Put - Ryan Crouser (23.30m/76-5.5)
USATF Statistician
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