Athletics: Olympic time run by Nick Willis

11.00am

Wellington middle distance runner Nick Willis has slashed past the Olympic qualifying time for the 1500 metres at a meeting in Rome on Saturday morning.

He ran three minutes 32.64 seconds to beat the qualifying mark by almost four seconds.

Willis finished ninth in the race, but was only two seconds behind the winner.

He was just pipped by world record holder Hicham El Guerrouj, who finished eighth.

- Newstalk ZB