Of the five Spanish athletes who participated this Sunday afternoon in the semifinals of the 1,500 meters, the only one who has achieved a ticket to the final is Mario García Romo. On the other hand, a great Esther Guerrero, Marta Pérez, Adel Mechaal and a Mohamed Katir who will still have another opportunity in the 5,000 were left on the way.
The first semifinal of 1,500 was the first jug of cold water for Spanish athletics in these World Cups in which he already has two golds for the elimination of two of the options for some very expensive medals, Mohamed Katir and Adel Mechaal. And much of the blame lay with the Kenyan Abel Kipsang for the strong pace he set from the start.
Katir moved to the front and Mechaal waited a little further back. until in the passage through 1,100 (2:39.06) both seemed to progress, but the race was dizzying and they sank in the final stretch to finish ninth the adopted Catalan (3:33.33>) and tenth the Muleño with 3:33.96 .
After two excellent days with gold medals for walkers Álvaro Martín and María Pérez, the two Spanish-Moroccans were KO and the only option was Mario García Romo from Salamanca in the second semifinal.
Much slower, the 800 passed in 2:00.30 and at the last ring of the bell the athlete based in the United States left in second position while Jakob Ingebrigtsen changed in the last cornergesturing to the public which are another example of how good he is and how little respect he has.
At least, Mario García Romo finished fourth with 3:35.26 and will be alone against danger in the final on Wednesday. For his part, the Scandinavian won with 3:34.98. Yes, he is very good, the best, but he is also unpresentable, period.
The two Spanish representatives fell with their heads held high in very expensive semifinals, especially the second with the great Kenyan Faith Kipyegon setting the pace to finish with 3:55.14 and letting go.
In that series the Catalan Esther Guerrero traveled, who was cut off at the penultimate step by the finish line (2:56.43) and continued fighting to finish in tenth position lowering his personal best by more than two seconds (from 4:02.41 to 4:00.12) to place third of all time in Spain very close to the record of Natalia Rodríguez (3:59.51) and much more than Marta Pérez (4:00.11).
The woman from Salamanca could not reach the 1,500 final in a slower race in which she lacked a single position, undoubtedly affected by a kind of slalom to improve her situation when she was very covered. Marta Pérez was seventh with 4:02.96 and the Italian Ludovica Cavalli left her out of the final by 13 hundredths and with a personal best.