Wildred Bungei was the fastest man Tuesday as he qualified in style for the 800 metres semi-final planned for Thursday in continuation of the Olympic games in Beijing, China.
Also qualifying for the semi-finals were compatriots Boaz Lalang and reigning world champion Alfred Kirwa.
Bungei overtook pacesetter Ehsan Mohajershojaei with 200m to go as he finished a head of defending champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy of Russia.
The Kenya team captain crossed the finish line in 1:44.90. The 2006 World-Indoor champion qualified together with Borzakovskiy, who returned 1:45.15, for the pen ultimate round.
Kirwa finished behind Nick Symmonds of the US as they both qualified for Thursday’s showdown.
Running in heat four, Kirwa timed 1:46.04 while the American posted 1:46.01. Lalang ran 1:45.72, behind heat-eight winner Cuban Yeimer Lopez, who posted 1:45.66 .
Sudan’s Abubaker Kaki won the second heat in 1:46.98. He was followed by Kuwaiti Mohamed Al-Salhi.
Michael Rimmer of Great Britain and South African Mbulaeni Mulaudzi qualified from the third heat with Manuel Olmedo and Ismail Ahmed Ismail getting to the semi final from heat-five.
Amine Laalou of Morocco finished ahead of Uganda’s Abraham Chepkirwok in heat si x with Muhammad Al-Azemi and Kenyan-turned-Qatari Yusuf Kamel coming through to semi-final stage in positions 1-2 from their heat.
Nadjim Manseur, Nabil Madi (Algeria), Brazilian Fabiano Pecanha, Antonio Manuel Reina of Spain, Gary Reed of Canada, Pole Marcin Lewandowski, Belal Mansoor Ali from Bahrain and Sajad Moradi of Iran joined the first two from the heats as the fastest timers.
The 800 metres men final is slated for Saturday afternoon.
