It was with a collected mind that Andreas Almgren took the way through the National Arena's tunnel. When the questions began to be asked, then he chose to collect himself and carefully choose his words.
In a few days, I will be satisfied with what I have done, but right now… There are some words that I should not say.
I am not satisfied with this, in short. The main goal for me was to take a medal on ten, I managed that. Fifth place would be a bonus, but now it was just crap instead.
No energy
After the historic World Championship medal on 10,000 meters – the first Swedish one ever in long-distance running – Almgren aimed high for half the distance.
He wanted to go home with another medal.
Instead, he was knocked out already in the qualifying heat.
I did not have any energy to push with. When there were 200 meters left, I tried, but I went backwards.
The 30-year-old started controlled and when there were five laps left, he chose to go up in the lead of the cluster to increase the pace.
Already then, he felt that the race would be tough.
I felt pretty quickly when I increased that the fatigue came earlier than I had wished, he says.
The hope was that it would not have to be a lap where you had to go "all out" in the end, but that it would be a maximum of eight who were loose, but we were ten instead.
Ingebrigtsen on
In the goal, he was ninth on 13.16,38 – only the first eight went to the final.
One who, on the other hand, made it to the final was Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
The Norwegian, reigning World Champion on 5,000, was previously knocked out directly in the trials at the World Championship on 1,500 meters. The question marks for Ingebrigtsen's form are still there – he took the eighth and last final spot from his qualifying heat.
