The 800m semi-finals were the end of Bryce Hoppel’s Olympic journey.
B. Hoppel Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
On Sunday, Bryce Hoppel, a graduate of Midland High, competed in the men’s 800-meter semifinals.
Hoppel didn’t make it to the final on Wednesday since he placed fifth in the first of three semi-final races with a timing of 1 minute, 44.91 seconds. The track and field competition at the Tokyo Olympics is taking place today and tomorrow.
Both the winner, Poland’s Patryk Dobek (1:44.60), and the runner-up, Kenya’s Emmanuel Kipkurui (1:44.74), automatically qualified for the 800-meter final.
Hoppel started out the first lap in the lead and stayed there for the most of the second. As the race came down to the wire, Hoppel battled it out with Dobek, Korir, third-place finisher Jesus Tonatiu Lopez of Mexico (1:44.77), fourth-place finisher Eliott Crestan of Belgium (1:44.84), and sixth-place finisher Addessalem Ayouni of Tunsia (1:44.99), but ultimately came up short.
After the race, Hoppel tweeted, “Wasn’t quite the way I envisioned my first Olympics, but happily we’re not done.”
Hoppel, 23, finished third in heat 6 on Saturday morning, guaranteeing him a spot in the semifinals (1.45.64). The world’s seventh best player is him.
Semifinal 2 was won by Peter Bol of Australia and Clayton Murphy of the United States, Hoppel’s colleague; Semifinal 3 was won by Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich of Kenya and Amel Tuka of Bosnia and Herzegovina; and Final 4 will be run between Bol and Tuka.
As the top two runners who did not place first or second in their respective semifinals, Gabriel Tual of France (1:44.28) and Adrian Ben of Spain (1:44.30) earned the two at-large berths in the 800 final.
Having placed third (1:44:14) at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials on June 21, Hoppel earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team.
She Has Competed in Olympic Events
A former Olympian (2020)
To be held at the 15th Olympiad in Tokyo in the year 2020 (800-meter)
Competing in the World Championships Was Her First Time
- As of April 4th, 2019 (most recent) (800-meter)
- Out of doors, this year is 2019.
- Best Result: Fourth Place (2019) (800-meter)
Extraordinary Accomplishments
- 2019 First Round of NCAA Indoor Championships (800-meter)
- The 2019 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships will be the first (800-meter)
- 2019 NCAA Big 12 Indoor Championships, 1st (800-meter, distance medley relay), 3rd (4×400-meter) (4×400-meter)
- 2019 NCAA Big 12 Outdoor Championships, 1st (800-meter), 3rd (4×400-meter) (4×400-meter)
Specifics of Her Life:
The Hoppel offspring, whose parents are Monty and Rita…
Sisters Kelsey and Megan…
Aside from track and field, his favourite sports to play are baseball and soccer.
Takes pleasure in running and discovering new places.
