RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL- Iona College men's cross country / track and field alum Leonard Korir '12 finished 14th overall in the men's 10,000-meter final in the 2016 Olympic Games at Estádio Olímpico João Havelange. The Maroon & Gold's first American Olympian was the second Team USA runner to cross the line, running a time of 27:35.65.
Korir's time of 27:35.65 was his fastest in 2016 and his second fastest 10k ever following his Iona school record 27:29.40 set on May 1, 2011 at Stanford University. Korir adds another chapter to a story book 2015-16, where he enlisted in the United States Army, gained American citizenship and then qualified and competed in the Olympic Games.
Korir was Iona's first ever NCAA Champion, accomplishing the feat twice in 2011 in the indoor 5,000-meter and outdoor 10,000-meter events and was an eight-time NCAA All-American.
In Rio, Great Britain's Mo Farah out kicked Kenya's Paul Tanui in the final 100-meters of the event to defend his 2012 gold medal to win in 27:05.17. Ethiopia's Tamirat Tola took the bronze medal. On the American side, former Oregon standout Galen Rupp was fifth overall, two and a half seconds behind the bronze performer. Korir's Team USA and U.S. Army Elite Athlete Development Program teammate Shadrack Kipchirchir came in 19th place (27:58.32) among the 34 competitors in the field.
Iona's third and final Olympian in the Rio Games competes tomorrow (Aug. 14) at 9:30 am as Denmark's Anna Holm Baumeister takes part in the women's marathon event. Check NBC, NBC Sports Network orNBCOlympics.com for coverage of the race.
2016 Olympic Games
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Estádio Olímpico João Havelange
Men's 10,000-meter final
August 13, 2016
|
RK
|
NAME
|
COUNTRY
|
RESULT
|
NOTES
|
|
1
|
Mo Farah
|
Great Britain
|
27:05.17
|
|
|
2
|
Paul Tanui
|
Kenya
|
27:05.64
|
SB
|
|
3
|
Tamirat Tola
|
Ethiopia
|
27:06.26
|
|
|
4
|
Yigrem Demelash
|
Ethiopia
|
27:06.27
|
|
|
5
|
Galen Rupp
|
United States
|
27:08.92
|
SB
|
|
6
|
Joshua Kiprui Cheptegei
|
Uganda
|
27:10.06
|
PB
|
|
7
|
Bedan Karoki Muchiri
|
Kenya
|
27:22.93
|
|
|
8
|
Zersenay Tadese
|
Eritrea
|
27:23.86
|
|
|
9
|
Nguse Tesfaldet
|
Eritrea
|
27:30.79
|
SB
|
|
10
|
Abraham Cheroben
|
Bahrain
|
27:31.86
|
PB
|
|
11
|
Geoffrey Kipsang Kamworor
|
Kenya
|
27:31.94
|
|
|
12
|
Zane Robertson
|
New Zealand
|
27:33.67
|
|
|
13
|
Polat Kemboi Arıkan
|
Turkey
|
27:35.50
|
PB
|
|
14
|
Leonard Essau Korir
|
United States
|
27:35.65
|
SB
|
|
15
|
Abadi Hadis
|
Ethiopia
|
27:36.34
|
|
|
16
|
David McNeill
|
Australia
|
27:51.71
|
|
|
17
|
Suguru Osako
|
Japan
|
27:51.94
|
|
|
18
|
Stephen Mokoka
|
South Africa
|
27:54.57
|
|
|
19
|
Shadrack Kipchirchir
|
United States
|
27:58.32
|
SB
|
|
20
|
Bashir Abdi
|
Belgium
|
28:01.49
|
|
|
21
|
Luis Ostos
|
Peru
|
28:02.03
|
|
|
22
|
Moses Kurong
|
Uganda
|
28:03.38
|
|
|
23
|
Timothy Toroitich
|
Uganda
|
28:04.84
|
SB
|
|
24
|
Goitom Kifle
|
Eritrea
|
28:15.99
|
|
|
25
|
Andy Vernon
|
Great Britain
|
28:19.36
|
|
|
26
|
El Hassan El-Abbassi
|
Bahrain
|
28:20.17
|
|
|
27
|
Olivier Irabaruta
|
Burundi
|
28:32.75
|
|
|
28
|
Ben St Lawrence
|
Australia
|
28:46.32
|
|
|
29
|
Yuta Shitara
|
Japan
|
28:55.23
|
|
|
30
|
Kota Murayama
|
Japan
|
29:02.51
|
|
|
31
|
Ross Millington
|
Great Britain
|
29:14.95
|
|
|
32
|
Mohammed Ahmed
|
Canada
|
29:32.84
|
|
|
-
|
Hassan Chani
|
Bahrain
|
DNF
|
|
|
-
|
Ali Kaya
|
Turkey
|
DNF
|
|