Team Ireland athlete Andrew Coscoran put in another composed performance in the Men’s 1500m but it was not enough to qualify for the finals.
The Team Ireland member ran close to his personal best, coming across the line with a time of 3:35.84 in 10th, just outside his best time of 3:35.66.
The Balbriggan athlete posted the second-fastest time of his career, and with just the top 5 advancing to the final (plus two time-qualifiers), his Olympic Games finishes with a 20th place ranking overall.
A quick opening lap set the tone of the race, with the Irishman needing to have his wits about him from the gun to stay in contention.
Coscoran stayed connected to the race throughout, sitting at the back of the main pack and hoping to produce a fast final 100m like in his heat, but ultimately those ahead of him held on.
Noting the fast early pace and his plan for the race, Coscoran said: “A 56-second flat first lap will take the steam out of you fairly quickly…The plan was to stay connected to the pack. No matter where the pack was…in the heats, I let a little bit of a gap open so the plan was to not let that happen.”
Proud of his two races in his Olympic Games debut he added; “It was a good race, it was good for me. The heats was probably the best race of my life, and then that was the best race of my life…I think I did better than what I was expected to do and I think that’s because of all the race experience I’ve had in the entire season”.
The second semi-final was won in an Olympic record by Abel Kipsang of Kenya, and a time qualifier position would have required an Irish record or three-second PB from the Irishman.
