Will Iguider return Morocco’s glory in the 1500m race at the Rio Olympics?

Abdalaati Iguider, winner of the bronze in London, strikes for the Olympic title in the 1500m race at the Rio Olympics.

There was a time when the athletic 1500m race for men was in general interesting for only one thing: whether Hicham El Guerrouj will achieve another world record or not. The famous “King of the mile” with his athletic brilliance and amazing personality set Moroccan athletics at the top most place in this athletic discipline.

However his superiority on the absolute World Championships was not transferred to the Olympics. As sites dealing with bet on sports in Brazil state, although El Guerrouj won the gold in four consecutive world championships, the Olympic 1500m race always revealed some unexpected surprises. Nowadays the 1500m race at Rio Olympics is striking again with this peculiar uncertainty. Although the absolute favorite, as on the previous two Olympics, is the Kenyan Asbel Kiprop, everybody is wondering about who might be the athletes that can surprise. The most important names among them are those of the Moroccan Abdalaati Iguider, Taoufik Makhloufi, and the other Kenyan, Ronald Kwemoi. 

• Abdalaati Iguider will strive for his first Olympic gold

• The Monaco meeting from the Diamond Leauge give hopes to Kiprop’s oponents

• Asbel Kiprop is still considered to be greatest favorite

Asbel Kiprop’s seasonal brilliance

Kiprop’s results this year have simply been sensational. With exception of the Diamond League meeting in Monaco he showed an amazing superiority especially on the meetings in Doha, Oslo and Birmingham. And certainly due to these performance it is logical that he is the favorite no.1 for winning the gold in Rio. Yet, as internet betting sites in France note, the Monaco race, where he ended up sixth, leaves some space for hope of the other competitors. Here come in the first places his compatriot Ronald Kwemoi, the current Olympic Champion Taoufik Makhloufi and Abdalaati Iguider.

Problems for the last two might be their participation in other athletic disciplines. Makhloufi, who is entering in a better shape right for the Games in Rio is also participating at the 800m race. He already classified for the final race in 800m, with a sixth best time in the semifinals. On the other side Iguider will also attend the 5000 meter race which might defocus him for the 1500m race. However he already expressed his determinacy to bring the glory in the 1500m race back to Morocco after 12 years.

The betting odds of the favorites in the 1500m race at the Olympics

According to Online sportsbooks in Australia such as Sportsbets, there is no question who is the favorite in the 1500m race at the Rio Olympics. Asbel Kipropt sovereignly stays on the top with betting odds of 1,53. The second and third favorites are the current Olympic champion, the Algerian Taoufik Makloufi and the winner of the Monaco race this year, Ronald Kwomi, both evaluated on 7.00. Abdalaati Iguider is somewhere in the middle with his 17.00. But this situation was not different than the one we already knew from London.

Kipropt was then also considered to be top favorite but in the end finished the race on the 12th position while Makloufi in a spectacular style won the final. If surprises are possible then they are to be expected exactly on this middle distance 1500m race at the Rio Olympics. Do we justifiably expect them? That we will find out very soon.