Reports: 4 Paralympians beat Olympic gold time in 1500-meter race

Four visually impaired Paralympians turned in such blazing times in the men’s 1,500-meter track and field final, they beat the best effort of the gold medal winner from the earlier Olympics, according to multiple media outlets.

ESPN reports that Algeria’s Abdellatif Baka won gold with a blazing time of 3 minutes, 48.29 seconds at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, which was better than Olympic gold medalist Matthew Centrowitz’s winning time of 3:50 in the men’s 1,500-meter final.

“It wasn’t easy to get this gold medal,” Abdellatif said afterward, according to the Huffington Post. “I’ve been working one or two years nonstop and it’s been very, very hard for me.”  

ESPN reports “Tamiru Demisse of Ethiopia (3:48.59) took silver behind Baka, Henry Kirwa of Kenya (3:49.59) got bronze and Fouad Baka of Algeria (3:49.59) finished in fourth place.”

The 1,500-meter race in the Olympics is considered to be more of a tactical event than a speed event, according to many track and field observers.