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When choosing the favorites for the athletics events of the Tokyo Olympics, one usually looks at the winners of the previously held World Championships. Unlike the Olympics which happen once every four years, the IAAF World Athletics Championships takes place biennially.
The 2019 edition of the World Athletics Championships took place in Doha from 27 September to 6 October. USA bagged a total of 14 gold, 11 silver, and 4 bronze medals. They were followed by Kenya and Jamaica, who took home 5 and 3 gold medals respectively.
The Olympic Track and Field Trials held in various countries have seen their own fair share of upsets. While many medal hopefuls have seen their dreams shattered, the 2019 World Champions haven't been spared either.
Great Britain and Canada are yet to conduct their Olympic trials. Barring them, almost all nations have announced their athletics participants for the Tokyo Olympics.
Also Read: Rising temperatures prompt changes in US Olympic Track and Field Trials 2021 schedule
Christian Coleman, the reigning men's 100m world champion, has been suspended until November 2021 for missing three random drug tests. Nia Ali also skipped the US Olympic Track and Field Trials 2021 as she is expecting her second child.
Christian Taylor, the reigning world champion and double Olympic champion in the men's triple jump, ruptured his Achilles tendon and didn't show up at the US Olympic Track and Field Trials 2021. He missed out on the Tokyo Olympics as well.
Current World Athletics Champions who failed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics
#4 Donavan Brazier - Men's 800m
Donavan Brazier entered the men's 800m finals of the 2019 World Athletics Championships as an outside favorite, ranking fourth in the semi-finals. In the finals, he was in second position until the 600m mark before striding forward to win the gold medal in 1:42.34 minutes.
Brazier headed into the US Olympic Track and Field Trials 2021 as a favorite to win the men's 800m race. He allowed Clayton Murphy to be the frontrunner and tried to close him down in the last 350m. However, his plans backfired as he faltered in the last 200m.
As other athletes whizzed past him, Brazier could do nothing but watch as he finished last in the finals. Murphy, who ran a world-leading time of 1:43.17 minutes, will be accompanied by Bryce Hoppell (1:44.14) and Isaiah Jewett (1:43.85) at the Tokyo Olympics.
Also Read: Tokyo Olympics to get new 800m champion as Kenyan David Rudisha pulls out
#3 Timothy Cheruiyot - men's 1500m
At the 2019 World Athletics Championships, Timothy Cheruiyot put on the afterburners from the word go. Usually, pacemakers exhaust their energy and drop down the line in middle distance races like 1500m.
However, Cheruiyot was able to maintain his energy and fended off a late challenge from Algeria's Taoufik Makhloufi to win the gold medal, clocking 3:29.26 minutes.
At the Kenyan Olympic Trials 2021, Cheruiyot finished fourth (3:34.62) and missed out on the flight to the Tokyo Olympics. The trio of Charles Simotwo (3:33.02), Kamar Etiyang (3:33.12), and Abel Kipsang (3:34.36) will represent the African nation in the quadrennial extravaganza.
#2 Muktar Edris
The Ethiopian trio of Muktar Edris, Selemon Barega and Telahun Bekele deployed a shrewd tactic of taking control early in the race and switching leaders from time to time. Although a couple of athletes took the lead momentarily, the Ethiopians were able to conserve their energy till the end.
As other runners faded away, Muktar Edris won the gold medal at the 2019 World Athletics Championship, clocking a season's best time of 12:58.85 minutes. However, this tactic couldn't save him in the Ethiopian Olympic Trials.
It was every man for himself and Muktar ended up in the fourth position. Ethiopia has three Olympic spots in the men's 5000m race and Nibret Melak, Milkesa Mengesh, and Getnet Wale occupied the podium positions in the qualifiers.
#1 Conseslus Kipruto - men's 3000m steeplechase
Kenya qualified four runners in the finals of the men's 3000m steeplechase run at the 2019 Doha World Athletics Championships. In a neck-to-neck battle against Ethiopia's Lamecha Girma, Conseslus Kipruto took home the gold medal by pipping his rival by one millisecond.
In the Kenyan Olympic Trials, Kipruto dropped out in the early laps and failed to make it to the contingent traveling to Tokyo. The trio of Leonard Bett, Abraham Kibiwott, and Benjamin Kigen will represent the African nation at the Tokyo Olympics this time.
