Commonwealth Games: Timothy Cheruiyot clinches 1500m silver, misses gold by a whisker
Athletics
By
Alexander Chagema
| Aug 06, 2022
A rookie error in his first-ever international race cost Former World champion Timothy Cheruiyot a gold medal at the finish line on Saturday to settle for a silver in the men's 1,500m finals.
Cheruiyot's hopes of a summer hat-trick ended after he finished behind Australia's Oliver Hoare in 3:30.21 at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.
Hoare's finishing time of 3:30.12 was a personal best and also earned him the Games record.
The gold medal performance also put Hoare in the history books, becoming the first Australian to win the event since Herb Elliott in 1958, when the event was known as the 1 Mile race.
Cheruiyot retained the position he finished during heat one of the event on Thursday in the ongoing 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
After spending much of the final lap boxed in by Kenyans Timothy Cheruiyot and Abel Kipsang, Hoare made a late charge to come around the outside and pip Cheruiyot for the win by just 0.09 seconds.
Throughout the race, Hoare found himself in the middle of the pack and managed to gradually move up to the fourth position by the final lap.
Cheruiyot who finished sixth during the final at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon two weeks ago was seeking to redeem himself in the finals.
The Commonwealth Games 1,500m silver medallist clocked 3:37.82 seconds behind Oliver Hoare from Australia who won the heat in 3:37.52.
Oliver Hoare has become the first Australian to win gold in the 1500m since 1958 after pulling off a Games record performance in an emotional victory.
Hoare burst into tears and fell to the ground overcome with emotion after pulling off an impressive late charge to win gold in the men's 1500m final on Saturday.