Stewart McSweyn expects to “change up” his tactics in pursuit of a medal in the men’s 1500 metres Olympic final on Saturday.
National record holder McSweyn qualified in the last automatic spot from his semi-final on Thursday, finishing fifth after leading from the front and caught by the chasing pack in the final 150 metres.
McSwyen finished almost a second behind Kenyan Abel Kispang, who clocked an Olympic record time of 3:31.65, and will also have 2019 world champion Timothy Cheruiyot and Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen for company in the final.
“I think I can change up in the final,” said McSweyn, the 26-year-old from King Island who will be on the starting line with fellow Australian Oliver Hoare.
“Going from the front is a good tactic in the first two rounds because you have the time spots.
“But time doesn’t matter in the final. It’s about competing.”
Kenyan Cheruiyot eased through by finishing third in his semi-final behind Great Britain’s Jake Wightman and American Cole Hocker.
“Cheruiyot likes going from the front. Hopefully I can cling on to the back of him and be right there at the bell,” McSweyn said.
“I don’t think we’re going to jog along for three laps and leave it to a 400 metre sprint.
“Luckily I probably won’t have to do all the work.
“That goes to make it a lot easier to make sure I have a lot left on that last 400.
“Strange things happen in an Olympics and if I’m there in the mix anything can happen.”
The US-based Hoare has nowhere near the public profile of McSweyn in Australia.
But the 24-year-old from Sydney impressed to finish fourth in his semi in a time of 3.34:35.
“Stewart’s a fantastic athlete and it’s an honour to race with him in the 1500 final,” Hoare said.
“To have two Australians in the Olympic final is a proud moment.”
It is the first time Australia has had two contenders in the men’s 1500m final since John Landy and Merv Lincoln at the 1956 Melbourne Games.
AAP
