PARIS, France – Yared Nuguse, a 2022 Notre Dame graduate, capped off a stellar debut at the Olympic Games with a bronze medal after posting a personal best 3.27.80 in the 1500m final on Tuesday.
Nuguse used a strong final 100m push in his first round race on Friday to automatically earn a spot in the semifinal round. His time of 3:36.56 was enough to place fifth in the opening heat of the event as each of the top six finishers in each heat gained qualification to the semifinal.
Sunday’s semifinal was all Nuguse from start to finish in the second heat of the 1500m. A blistering 41.02 over the final lap saw Nuguse claim not only first place in the heat but also the fastest time of the day with a 3:31.72.
Nuguse was in the middle of the pack for much of the final on Tuesday and sat in sixth after 800m of racing. He used the next 400m to push ahead to fourth heading into the final lap. With less than 100m to go, Nuguse kicked into high gear and used his outside position to power his way to the podium. His final lap time of 39.8 was the second-fastest final lap of the race and was only behind gold medalist and fellow USA teammate Cole Hocker.
It is his first Olympic medal in his first appearance in the Olympic Games.
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