| Host City: Tokyo, Japan |
Format: First round (Aug 29) (First 6 & 6 fastest to semi-finals) |
| Dates: August 23 – September 1 |
Format: Semi-finals (Aug 31) (First 5 & 2 fastest to final) |
| Nations participating: 167 |
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| Athletes participating: 1517 |
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Main venue: Olympic Stadium
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| Overview by IAAF |
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| Morceli, whose older brother Abderrahmane was eliminated in the 1983 heats, started as favourite. Unbeaten all year, he had taken the world indoor title and clocked times of 3:31.00 and 3:31.01. Kibet set a reasonable pace for the first kilometre, closely followed by the confident Algerian. The reigning 5000m champion, Aouita, was also prominent before fading in the last lap. Morceli took the lead just before the bell and accelerated dramatically to win by 15m in a championship record. His final lap took just 51.55 and was one of the fastest ever finishes to a race won in 3:32. “I am not tired, because I am used to running fast.” said Morceli. “Aouita has been the athlete of the eighties, I will be that of the nineties.” Kirochi, who beat Morceli for the world junior title three years earlier, was second, while the bronze went to Fuhlbrügge. Another German, Herold, would have placed third in the race had he not eased up before the line to celebrate. |
| These are the official results of the Men's 1.500 metres event at the 1991 IAAF World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. There were a total number of 43 participating athletes, with three qualifying heats, two semi-finals and the final held on Sunday September 1, 1991. |
Records
Existing records at the start of the event.
| World Record |
 Saïd Aouita (MAR) |
3:29.46 |
Berlin, Germany |
August 23, 1985 |
| Championship Record |
 Abdi Bile (SOM) |
3:35.67 |
Rome, Italy |
September 4, 1987 |
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| |
1500m |
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|
1 September |
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| |
Final |
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|
|
|
|
| 1 |
Noureddine Morceli |
ALG |
28 Feb 70 |
3.32.84 |
|
|
| 2 |
Wilfred Kirochi |
KEN |
12 Dec 69 |
3.34.84 |
|
|
| 3 |
Hauke Fuhlbrügge |
GER |
21 Mar 66 |
3.35.28 |
|
|
| 4 |
Jens-Peter Herold |
GER |
2 Jun 65 |
3.35.37 |
|
|
| 5 |
Fermín Cacho |
ESP |
16 Feb 69 |
3.35.62 |
|
|
| 6 |
Mário Silva |
POR |
23 Jul 61 |
3.35.76 |
|
|
| 7 |
David Kibet |
KEN |
24 Nov 63 |
3.36.03 |
|
|
| 8 |
Gennaro Di Napoli |
ITA |
5 Mar 68 |
3.36.56 |
|
|
| 9 |
Mohamed Ahmed Suleiman |
QAT |
23 Nov 69 |
3.38.12 |
|
|
| 10 |
Matthew Yates |
GBR |
4 Feb 69 |
3.38.71 |
|
|
| 11 |
Saïd Aouita |
MAR |
2 Nov 59 |
3.39.49 |
|
|
| 12 |
Simon Doyle |
AUS |
9 Nov 66 |
3.41.54 |
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| |
Semifinals |
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|
30 August |
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| |
Heat 1 |
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|
|
|
| 1 |
Noureddine Morceli |
ALG |
|
3.39.90 |
|
|
| 2 |
Wilfred Kirochi |
KEN |
|
3.40.73 |
|
|
| 3 |
Fermin Cacho |
ESP |
|
3.40.83 |
|
|
| 4 |
Gennaro Di Napoli |
ITA |
|
3.40.84 |
|
|
| 5 |
Mario Silva |
POR |
|
3.40.94 |
|
|
| 6 |
Matthew Yates |
GBR |
|
3.41.24 |
|
|
| 7 |
Hauke Fuhlbrugge |
GER |
|
3.41.41 |
|
|
| 8 |
Peter Rono |
KEN |
|
3.41.76 |
|
|
| 9 |
Rachid El Basir |
MAR |
|
3.42.89 |
|
|
| 10 |
Mikael Svensson |
SWE |
|
3.43.69 |
|
|
| 11 |
Joao N'Tyamba |
ANO |
|
3.44.64 |
|
|
| 12 |
Pat Scammell |
AUS |
|
3.45.17 |
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| |
Heat 2 |
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|
|
|
|
| 1 |
Jens-Peter Herold |
GER |
|
3.41.23 |
|
|
| 2 |
Said Aouita |
MAR |
|
3.41.45 |
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|
| 3 |
Mohamed Suleiman |
QAT |
|
3.41.48 |
|
|
| 4 |
Simon Doyle |
AUS |
|
3.41.52 |
|
|
| 5 |
David Kibet |
KEN |
|
3.41.54 |
|
|
| 6 |
Teofilo Benito |
ESP |
|
3.41.61 |
|
|
| 7 |
Steve Cram |
GBR |
|
3.41.67 |
|
|
| 8 |
Jose Luis Gonzalez |
ESP |
|
3.41.71 |
|
|
| 9 |
Davide Tirelli |
ITA |
|
3.43.08 |
|
|
| 10 |
Mogens Guldberg |
DEN |
|
3.44.34 |
|
|
| 11 |
Sergey Melnikov |
URS |
|
3.44.62 |
|
|
| 12 |
Pascal Thiebaut |
FRA |
|
3.45.18 |
|
|
| 13 |
Mitsuhiro Okuyama |
JPN |
|
3.49.96 |
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|
| |
Heats |
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|
29 August |
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|
| |
Heat 1 |
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|
|
|
|
| 1 |
Noureddine Morceli |
ALG |
|
3.43.45 |
|
|
| 2 |
Teofilo Benito |
ESP |
|
3.43.88 |
|
|
| 3 |
Said Aouita |
MAR |
|
3.43.93 |
|
|
| 4 |
Peter Rono |
KEN |
|
3.44.37 |
|
|
| 5 |
Pat Scammell |
AUS |
|
3.44.60 |
|
|
| 6 |
Mikael Svensson |
SWE |
|
3.44.66 |
|
|
| 7 |
Steve Cram |
GBR |
|
3.44.69 |
|
|
| 8 |
Karol Dudij |
POL |
|
3.44.89 |
|
|
| 9 |
Mbiganyi Thee |
BOT |
|
3.45.04 |
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|
| 10 |
Edgar De Oliveira |
BRA |
|
3.45.59 |
|
|
| 11 |
Alex Geissbuhler |
SUI |
|
3.46.38 |
|
|
| 12 |
Terrance Herrington |
USA |
|
3.47.28 |
|
|
| 13 |
Dale Jones |
ANT |
|
3.55.41 |
|
|
| 14 |
Elonga Lucas Eningo |
GEQ |
|
4.31.24 |
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|
| - |
Abdi Bile |
SOM |
|
DNS |
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| |
Heat 2 |
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|
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|
|
| 1 |
Jens-Peter Herold |
GER |
|
3.41.21 |
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|
| 2 |
Jose Luis Gonzalez |
ESP |
|
3.41.48 |
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|
| 3 |
Simon Doyle |
AUS |
|
3.41.50 |
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| 4 |
Pascal Thiebaut |
FRA |
|
3.41.50 |
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|
| 5 |
Wilfred Kirochi |
KEN |
|
3.41.64 |
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|
| 6 |
Davide Tirelli |
ITA |
|
3.41.77 |
|
|
| 7 |
Mogens Guldberg |
DEN |
|
3.42.00 |
|
|
| 8 |
Sergey Melnikov |
URS |
|
3.42.15 |
|
|
| 9 |
Zeki Ozturk |
TUR |
|
3.42.86 |
|
|
| 10 |
Luis Nunez |
DOM |
|
3.48.54 |
|
|
| 11 |
Fabian Franco |
GIB |
|
4.03.94 |
|
|
| - |
Han Kulker |
NED |
|
DNS |
|
|
| - |
Jim Spivey |
USA |
|
DNS |
|
|
| - |
Daouda Kassougue |
MTN |
|
DNS |
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| |
Heat 3 |
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|
|
|
|
| 1 |
David Kibet |
KEN |
|
3.38.07 |
|
|
| 2 |
Rachid El Basir |
MAR |
|
3.38.29 |
|
|
| 3 |
Fermin Cacho |
ESP |
|
3.38.31 |
|
|
| 4 |
Mario Silva |
POR |
|
3.38.37 |
|
|
| 5 |
Gennaro Di Napoli |
ITA |
|
3.38.63 |
|
|
| 6 |
Hauke Fuhlbrugge |
GER |
|
3.38.65 |
|
|
| 7 |
Mohamed Suleiman |
QAT |
|
3.38.89 |
|
|
| 8 |
Matthew Yates |
GBR |
|
3.39.30 |
|
|
| 9 |
Mitsuhiro Okuyama |
JPN |
|
3.40.35 |
|
|
| 10 |
Joao N'Tyamba |
ANO |
|
3.41.05 |
|
|
| 11 |
Alemayehu Roba |
ETH |
|
3.42.76 |
|
|
| 12 |
Jose Lopez |
VEN |
|
3.45.61 |
|
|
| 13 |
Luis Martinez |
GUA |
|
3.46.39 |
|
|
| - |
Joe Falcon |
USA |
|
DNS |
|
|
|
| Order / Lane | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | PB | SB 1991 |
|---|
| 1 |
Edgar de Oliveira |
 BRA |
|
|
| 2 |
Teófilo Benito |
 ESP |
3:35.84 |
3:35.84 |
| 3 |
Pat Scammell |
 AUS |
3:34.61 |
|
| 4 |
Mbiganyi Thee |
 BOT |
3:40.60 |
3:40.60 |
| 5 |
Noureddine Morceli |
 ALG |
3:31.00 |
3:31.00 |
| 6 |
Abdi Bile |
 SOM |
3:30.55 |
|
| 7 |
Lucas Eningo Elonga |
 GEQ |
|
|
| 8 |
Saïd Aouita |
 MAR |
3:29.46 |
|
| 9 |
Peter Rono |
 KEN |
3:35.96 |
|
| 10 |
Steve Cram |
 GBR |
3:29.67 |
|
| 11 |
Alex Geissbühler |
 SUI |
3:37.13 |
3:37.13 |
| 12 |
Dale Jones |
 ANT |
3:49.41 |
|
| 13 |
Mikael Svensson |
 SWE |
3:37.88 |
3:37.88 |
| 14 |
Terrance Herrington |
 USA |
3:44.86i |
3:44.86i |
| 15 |
Karol Dudij |
 POL |
|
|
| Order / Lane | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | PB | SB 1991 |
|---|
| 1 |
Wilfred Oanda Kirochi |
KEN |
3:36.07 |
|
| 2 |
Simon Doyle |
AUS |
3:31.96 |
3:31.96 |
| 3 |
Sergey Melnikov |
 URS |
3:44.91i |
3:44.91i |
| 4 |
Pascal Thiébaut |
 FRA |
3:41.51 |
|
| 5 |
Luis Nunez |
 DOM |
|
|
| 6 |
José Luís Gonzalez |
ESP |
3:30.92 |
|
| 7 |
Daouda Kassougue |
 MTN |
|
|
| 8 |
Davide Tirelli |
 ITA |
3:47.63i |
3:47.63i |
| 9 |
Zeki Öztürk |
 TUR |
3:35.68 |
|
| 10 |
Mogens Guldberg |
 DEN |
3:35.03 |
3:38.85i |
| 11 |
Jim Spivey |
USA |
3:31.01 |
|
| 12 |
Han Kulker |
 NED |
3:36.08 |
3:44.04i |
| 13 |
Jens-Peter Herold |
 GER |
3:36.21 |
|
| 14 |
Fabian Franco |
 GIB |
|
|
| Order / Lane | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | PB | SB 1991 |
|---|
| 1 |
Luis Martínez |
 GUA |
3:44.44 |
|
| 2 |
Alemayehu Roba |
 ETH |
3:41.71 |
3:48.83i |
| 3 |
Hauke Fuhlbrügge |
GER |
3:37.80i |
|
| 4 |
João N'Tyamba |
 ANG |
|
|
| 5 |
José López |
 VEN |
3:39.84 |
|
| 6 |
Mário Silva |
 POR |
3:36.46i |
3:36.46i |
| 7 |
Mitsuhiro Okuyama |
 JPN |
|
|
| 8 |
David Kibet |
KEN |
3:47.33i |
3:47.33i |
| 9 |
Gennaro Di Napoli |
ITA |
3:32.78 |
3:33.74 |
| 10 |
Matthew Yates |
GBR |
|
|
| 11 |
Mohamed Suleiman |
 QAT |
3:48.27 |
|
| 12 |
Rachid El Basir |
MAR |
3:45.83i |
3:45.83i |
| 13 |
Joe Falcon |
USA |
3:33.6 |
|
| 14 |
Fermín Cacho |
ESP |
3:32.03 |
3:32.03 |
|
