U.S." Coburn makes history with 3000m steeplechase bronze
In May, Glastonbury High graduate Donn Cabral shared a high school track in Glen Gardner, N.J., with a group of students making up a missed gym class.
Cabral, one of the all-time best American steeplechasers, was getting in an early afternoon workout and politely asked to use Lane 1.
His company will be a little different Wednesday in Brazil.
After four years spent training and preparing in relative obscurity, Cabral, who graduated from Glastonbury in 2008, will run in the Olympic 3,000-meter steeplechase final in Rio de Janeiro.
The final starts at about 10:55 a.m. at Olympic Stadium, where temperatures are expected to be in the 80s.
Cabral, 26, is trying to become the first American in 32 years to medal in the event, which includes running, hurdling and jumping over a water pit on the track. Brian Diemer won the bronze in 1984 in Los Angeles.
It is the second straight Olympic final for Cabral.
In 2012, he ran well, leading for portions of the race, but finished eighth with a time of 8:25.91.
On Monday, Cabral ran 8:21.96, the third-fastest time of qualifying rounds. He was the third automatic qualifier in the third and final heat, which was the fastest run.
All eyes will once again be on the Kenyans in the final. Kenya has won the last eight gold medals in the event and 10 of the last 12. In the qualifying rounds, Kenya"s Conseslus Kipruto had the fastest qualifying time of 8:21.40.
Ezekiel Kemboi, who won the gold medal in 2012 and 2004, qualified with the eighth-fastest time of 8:25.51.
Sport Illustrated predicted a sweep of the event by the Kenyans with Conseslus Kipruto winning gold, Kemboi taking silver and Brimin Kiprop Kipruto getting bronze. At the World Championships in Beijing last August, Kenya swept the medals with Kemboi going first and Conseslus Kipruto taking second. But the Americans enter the meet with their own piece of steeplechase history. It is the first time three Americans have advanced to the final in 80 years.
Hillary Bor and Evan Jager both made the final, each winning a heat Monday. Jager is considered a medal contender after finishing sixth at the World Championships last year. Bor ran 8:25.01 and Jager ran 8:25.86. Bor"s time was the sixth fastest and Jager"s was ninth in qualifying.
Mahiedine Mekhissi, who won the silver medal in 2012, will also be back after finishing 12th in qualifying in 8:26.32.
But Cabral enters the final with his own motivation and momentum.
He is coming off two of his best performances of the season.
After running 8:26.37 and finishing third in the final at the U.S. Olympic trials, Cabral returned to Eugene, Ore., about three weeks later and ran 8:20.72 to win the steeplechase at the Track Town summer series.
Cabral will be pulling on his experience from London in 2012.
In the final four years ago, Cabral mixed it up with the best, getting to the front of the pack early in the race. But on the closing lap, he wasn"t able to close the gap on the leaders. He enters Wednesday"s final more experienced and also healthy, coming off several weeks of training in Flagstaff, Ariz., where he ran at altitude.
Source: http://www.courant.com/sports/olympics/hc-oly-donn-cabral-steeplechase-advance-0817-20160816-story.html
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