Athletics: Willis to race only 1500m in London

New Zealand middle distance runner Nick Willis has decided against chasing qualification for the 5000m at the London Olympics and will instead focus on the 1500m. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand middle distance runner Nick Willis has decided against chasing qualification for the 5000m at the London Olympics and will instead focus on the 1500m.

Willis, the silver medallist in the 1500m at the 2008 Beijing Games, had intended to race both his favoured event and the longer distance in London but announced today on Twitter he had put that plan to bed.

"Great meeting with my coaches and wife today," he said. "The 5000m was a nice idea, but decided that we don't need to keep chasing a standard."

Willis wasn't far away from reaching that standard, as he showed when he returned to his Michigan base after winning the 5000m title at the national championships in March.

Earlier this week, he finished 10th in the 5000m at the Payton Jordan Invitational in Stanford, California, running 13 minutes, 29.56 seconds - a time within reach of the 'A' qualifying standard for the Olympics of 13.20.00.

After that race Willis tweeted: "Disappointed with how I went tonight. Was hoping to go considerably better. Just didn't have it in the final two laps."

With August's Games looming, that disappointment was evidently a catalyst for Willis to refocus on his specialist event.

"The 1500 will now be my sole focus of the Olympics, and we have a great plan set in place."

Willis also revealed he has been convinced to compete in some 800m races as a preparation tool for London, which he joked he "wasn't happy about".