adminEUGENE. — Bernard Lagat rolled back the years to secure a remarkable fifth Olympic Games appearance on Saturday, sealing his ticket to Rio at the age of 41 with a rousing win in the 5 000 metres at the US trials.
The veteran Kenyan-American, a bronze medalist in the 1,500m at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, stormed home on the final straight at Hayward Field to finish clear of Hassan Mead and Paul Chelimo in 13 minutes 35.50 seconds.
It was a tactical master-class from Lagat, who had been largely written off before arriving at the trials in Oregon. Lagat had dropped out during the 10 000m final last week as searing temperatures took their toll. However he reveled in cooler weather on Saturday for what he later described as his greatest Olympic qualification.
“Of the five this is my biggest achievement because at 41 a lot of people had ruled me out,” Lagat, who represented Kenya at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics before switching to the United States for the Games in 2008 and 2012. — AFP.
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