The men’s 1500 meter and women’s 800 meter races narrowed their fields down to 12 and eight competitors respectively Thursday night, with semifinal heats being run in both events. A total of three Americans advanced to the finals in those events, with two others failing to do so.
In the men’s 1500 Ben Blankenship and Matthew Centrowicz sealed their spots in the final, with Blankenship finishing fourth in his heat and Centrowicz third in his. However Robby Andrews was not as fortunate, as he was disqualified for having stepped off the track during his semifinal heat. Kenya’s Asbel Kiprop posted the fastest time, finishing in 3:39.