Mohamed Attaoui He will enter the final of the 800 and fight for a spot on the podium. The 22-year-old Cantabrian runner was fourth in his semi-final with 1’43”69 and won the ticket based on times – the first two in each series qualified directly.
“I am super happy to have entered this Olympic final, it was mine biggest dream“said the Cantabrian just after the race. “At least I can say that I am a finalist”, he added with great satisfaction after reaching the final round in his Olympic debut. “The race it was very difficult thenas planned. I started at the back, as I usually do, controlling the first 100m. At the bell, I advanced a few positions. “I knew it was going to be a very fast race and I needed to be in the top four,” he explained in detail. “With 300 meters to go, I know I can finish lots of energy. I found myself a little trapped with 150 meters left, I went out to change with everything I had with my head set on the finish line,” he said. “The important thing is to get into the final, it doesn’t matter if it’s direct or by time,” he added.
The final is this Saturday at 7:15 pm, on the last day of track athletics before the stadium becomes the venue for the closing ceremony on Sunday. In the medal race there will be eight high-level athletes, including the Algerian Djamel Sedjati as the main favorite to win and achieve the historic world record, which owns the David Rudisha from London 2012 with 1’40”91. The French Gabriel Tual and the Kenyan will also struggle Emmanuel Wanyonyiboth scored as low as 1’42 this year. The squad of finalists will be completed by British Max Burgin, Botswana Tshepiso Masalathe North American Bryce Hoppel and the Canadian Marco Arop.
Attaoui arrived in Torrelavega (Cantabria) at the age of six – from Morocco – and certainly exploded as a full-fledged athlete in the 2023 indoor track season, when he managed to become runner-up in Spain in the 1,500m. Attaoui has already shown at the Rome European Championship in June that he is a world-class athlete, winning silver on his debut at the highest level. And the best came a few weeks later in the Diamond League in Monaco, a very fast race with very good hares and where the Spaniard took full advantage to be second and run in 1’42.04, a new Spanish record and ninth at all times. . A great sign that shows that big stages don’t scare him and that in a final he can do anything.
[+] See race summary
Source: La Verdad
I’m Jason Root, a professional writer working with Today Times Live, the premier news website. I specialize in sports writing, covering the biggest stories in the world of athletics. With an eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, I provide engaging and informative articles that capture the key elements of any event or issue. My work has been featured on numerous respected websites and publications around the world.
