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Lagat dedicates win to brother-in-law

Bernard Lagat's first thoughts turned to his dead brother-in-law after he won a tactical 1,500m battle to hand the US a rare middle-distance gold medal.

"It had a lot of meaning," the Kenyan-born 32-year-old said after beating double middle-distance title-holder Rashid Ramzi on Wednesday.

"My No. 1 fan, my brother-in-law, passed away last year with complication of diabetes. He would have loved to have been here and I told my sister coming here [to the track] that this is for William Lagat, my brother-in-law. This was my dedication to him," he said.

But he was also happy for the US.

It was the first time in nearly a century that an American had won the men's 1,500m in any Olympics or world championships -- since Mel Sheppard triumphed at the 1908 London Olympics.

"It feels great to be a champion, representing the United States," said Lagat, who gained US citizenship two years ago but only last Saturday became eligible to compete for them after a mandatory wait under international rules.

"I am going to inspire a lot of people in America and Kenya," he said.

"My medal is for the United States and everyone in America. It was a dream come true. But I didn't know how to celebrate ... I have always come close but never been a champion carrying a flag," Lagat said.

Lagat, who won the Olympic bronze in 2000 and the silver in 2004 for Kenya, positioned himself perfectly for the dash to the line.

He emerged from the pack on the last bend as Moroccan-born Ramzi, who runs for Bahrain, was boxed in behind the front runners.

Lagat raised his right finger in victory as he crossed in 3 minutes 34.77 seconds, well outside the season's best set by eighth-placed American Alan Webb.

Ramzi, racing for the first time in an injury-plagued season, finished in 3:35.00 with Kenya's Shedrack Kibet Korir taking bronze in 3:31.18.

"I'm very disappointed. The shape was there but I failed tactically," Ramzi said. "I didn't make my moves at the right time, neither with 400 to go when [Alan] Webb and [Asbel] Kiprop blocked the way in front nor in the last home straight."

It was yet another tactical blunder for Ramzi, who in 2005 became the first man to win both 800m and 1,500m titles at any championships since New Zealand's Peter Snell at the 1964 Olympics.

The 27-year-old, who moved to Bahrain in 2002 to get a job as a palace guard in the armed forces there, lowered the Asian record to 3:29.14 last year. But he was outsprinted in the 1,500m final as defending champion.

Ramzi also failed to keep up the Moroccan stranglehold over the distance.

Morocco's now-retired Hicham El Guerrouj won four consecutive titles since 1997 and did not take part last time when Ramzi triumphed.

"I've waited since 2004 for this. I can never be happier than this right now," said Lagat, who finished next to El Guerrouj at the 2001 worlds and the Athens Olympics.
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