NEW YORK: Beijing Olympics 1,500 meters champion Asbel Kiprop of Kenya will provide stiff opposition to Bernard Lagat in the American’s bid to become the first eight-times winner of the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games on Friday.
Kiprop was preparing to make his indoor debut next month over 800m but was added to the Millrose field when Ethiopian world indoor champion Deresse Mekonnen was scratched from the race after failing to obtain a US visa.
“I feel good about tomorrow,” Kiprop told Reuters.
Kiprop was upgraded from a silver finish in Beijing to gold when Bahrain’s Moroccan-born runner Rashid Ramzi was stripped of the Olympic title for doping.
The Kenyan has dueled Lagat in other big races, finishing fourth behind the American at the last two world championships, and beating him at the 2008 world athletics final.
“I’ve never raced him yet in other races, only in championships, so it’s going to be difficult to compete with Lagat,” Kiprop said. “Especially since he is a seven-times winner in this race. I hope to be a stiff competitor and also to gain experience running indoors.” The Kenyan has a 1500m outdoor personal best of 3:31.20 and won the 2009 Prefontaine Classic mile in Oregon in 3:48.50.
z“It was a tough field already, and having the Olympic champion makes it better,” Baddeley told Reuters. “Bernard’s the guy who’s proved himself here over the last seven years, but they’re making it difficult for him.” Experience on the Garden’s 145-meter track will favor Lagat, as his two main challengers have never run its steeply-banked lanes.
“Lagat told me yesterday that we’re going to run 11 laps on the track, so it’s a very small track,” said Kiprop.
“Seeing what pace is used is going to be interesting, and what tactics people use to pass, because it’s so tight,” said Baddeley.
American David Krummenacker is the pace-setter in the field, which includes Mexican Pablo Solares, Briton Mark Draper and South African Peter van der Westhuizen.
