http://running.competitor.com/2016/08/news/old-guys-rule-meb-keflezighi-bernard-lagat-41-year-old-olympians_154631
Old Guys Rule: Meb Keflezighi and Bernard Lagat are Olympians at 41
By Mark Eller, Published 2 days ago
Veteran runners Bernard Lagat (left) and Meb Keflezighi—both 41 years
old—hope to be in position to earn more Olympic medals this weekend in
Rio de Janeiro. Photo: PhotoRun.net
It’s been a good Olympics for age and experience prevailing over
youthful exuberance. From swimmer Michael Phelps (age 31) to cyclist
Kristin Armstrong (she just turned 43), several Americans will exit
the Games with gold medals in the twilights of their careers.
On the track, Usain Bolt’s remarkable streak of winning 100- and
200-meter sprints in three consecutive Olympics might earn him
honorary old guy status, but the 29-year-old Bolt is still a baby
compared to a pair of 41-year-old American runners, Meb Keflezighi and
Bernard Lagat, who both hope to contend for medals in the final days
of competition. Even if they don’t finish on the podium, their ability
to remain fit and competitive on the world stage into their 40s has
been impressive.
Keflezighi and Lagat bring formidable resumes to their races—
Keflezighi will run the marathon on Sunday morning, while Lagat will
contest the 5,000-meter race on Saturday evening after qualifying with
a solid 13:26.02 effort in his semifinal heat on Wednesday.
The two men are already legends in the sport, but they can certainly
cement their legacies with strong performances. Keflezighi earned the
silver medal in the 2004 Olympic marathon and finished in fourth place
in the 2012 Games at age 37. He also won the 2009 New York City
Marathon and the 2014 Boston Marathon, among many other notable
results. Lagat earned a bronze medal in the 2000 Olympic 1,500-meter
race, then followed with a silver in that event in 2004. He’s stood on
the podium in multiple world championships, competing in events at the
1,500, 3,000 and 5,000 meter distances, both indoors and outdoors.
Lagat also placed fourth in the 2012 Olympics at age 37, just missing
a bronze medal in the 5,000.
Both men immigrated to the U.S. from Africa: Keflezighi from Eritrea
in 1975, Lagat from Kenya (the country he represented in his first two
Olympics) in 2004. As a recent article in The New Yorker revealed,
Keflezighi and Lagat share a scrupulous attitude about training for
their events, and both display a joy for running that appears to be
undiminished from their younger years. And a 2015 article in
Competitor.com outlined the over-40 success of Keflezighi, Lagat and
Deena Kastor.
The Olympics are not without a precedence of relatively older runners
earning medals. In 2008, Constantina Diţă of Romania won the marathon
in the Beijing Olympics, while Carlos Lopes of Portugal won the 1984
Olympic marathon in Los Angeles at age 37.
Keflezighi, a four-time Olympian, earned a spot on the U.S. team by
finishing second at the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon on Feb. 13 in Los
Angeles, outrunning dozens of runners 10 to 15 years his junior. Lagat
was equally impressive in earning his spot on the team, winning the
5,000-meter race at the U.S. Olympic Trials on the track on July 9 in
Eugene, Ore. He closed with a furious 52.8-second final 400 meters to
win the race and earn the chance to compete in his fifth Olympics—his
third for the U.S. after two for his native Kenya.
Neither is considered a clear medal favorite in their events—but it’s
a safe bet that none of their competitors will be overlooking this
pair of ageless athletes.
Received on Sun Aug 21 2016 - 08:08:46 EDT