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Tokyo 2020: Elliot Giles and Daniel Rowden miss out on final of men’s 800m

Great Britain suffered more track semi-final disappointment in the men’s 800m as Daniel Rowden and Elliot Giles missed out on a qualification time for the final at the Tokyo Olympics.

Patryk Dobek of Poland eased to victory in the first race and Emmanuel Korir came in second, just ahead of Mexico’s Jesus Lopez, who finished 0.03 seconds behind the Kenyan and an automatic final spot - and also didn’t post a time fast enough to earn one of the last two places in the final.

In the second semi-final, Canada’s Marco Arop led for most of the race before flagging badly toward the end and ending seventh, as Peter Bol roared through to finish first to claim a new Oceanic record and personal best.

Team GB’s Rowden was sixth for most of the race and by the closing stages was boxed in, unable to break through and finishing fifth, while Team USA’s Clayton Murphy took second - but the real drama was reserved for the third semi.

Britain’s Giles led from early on and was still setting the pace as the turn came into the home straight - only to be caught by Ferguson Rotich and Amel Tuka near the end, Giles finishing third with 1:44.74, a time which was not quite fast enough to claim a final berth - 1:44.30 being the final qualification time, Adrian Ben of Spain taking that spot, with France’s Gabriel Tual just ahead.

The big incident came just before the home stretch, as Isaiah Jewett and Nijel Amos collided and crashed out, the latter having won silver at London 2012.

But it’s a major disappointment for Great Britain to not see either athlete through to the final, which takes place on Wednesday.

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