Athletics: Willis misses 1500m final berth

7.20am - By KEVIN NORQUAY

ATHENS - Nick Willis this evening missed out in his bid to be the first New Zealand runner in 20 years to make an Olympic Games 1500m final when his kick deserted him in the straight.

Willis, 21, was poised in behind the leaders turning for home in a semifinal that sleepwalked the first 1200m.

A race run at a crawl should have been made for the Wellington youngster, who was perfectly placed to challenge from 800m out.

When the time came to kick for home there was nothing there and Willis, whose most dangerous weapon is his speed, was run out of the final in the home straight.

He missed his goal by one place, with the first five in a semifinal won by Moroccan world champion Hicham el Guerrouj going through.

Willis was almost 10 seconds outside his best time, 3min 32.68sec, set in Rome last month.

The fastest five in each semifinal and the two fastest losers made Tuesday night's final.

Willis had to run faster than Briton Michael East, the sixth placegetter in the first semifinal, to get through as a fastest loser.

East clocked 3min 36.46sec.

Adil Kaouch of Morocco won the first semifinal in 3min 35.70sec, from Bernard Lagat of Kenya and Dutchman Gert-Jan Liefers.

Willis told NZPA he knew he was in trouble with 100m to run.

"I ran to exhaustion," he said.

"I looked a lot better than I was feeling. I give the impression that I'm not very tired, but I was basically done with 100m to go.

"I was hoping the others were done as well.

"I know I gave it my all. I said a little prayer before the race, let me be humble no matter the result. It's just given me the strength to do my best.

"I know I did that, it's been a long year and it's over.

"It would have been nice to make the final but at the same time obviously I'm not quite strong enough yet to be a medal contender, so I don't want to be there just to fill up the numbers."

He felt he made a mistake in the straight when he moved off the inside, letting Boulahfane dive through and take the last place in the final.

Willis had thought Ethiopian Mulugeta Wendimu was tiring, so pulled out to pass him.

Athletics high performance manager Tony Rogers, who made the 1500m final at Los Angeles in 1984, said that the increasing pace of the second semifinal had undone Willis.

"They did 54 seconds for the third lap and came home fast. He's only a kid at 21 (years), that's pretty tough.

"While he has good speed, this is the Olympics."

Rogers thought that Willis could have moved forward earlier, and should not have got caught one lane out -- allowing Algerian Kamal Boulahfane to sneak past him on the inside in the final straight -- when the pace was so hectic.

- NZPA