Centrowitz beats the favourites to end 108-year US 1,500m draught

Rio de Janeiro (dpa) - Matthew Centrowitz shocked all the favourites when he clinched a first United States Olympic 1,500-metre gold in 108 years with a courageous run from the front on Saturday.Centrowitz was leading at the bell, fought off a challenge from three-time reigning world champion Asbel Kiprop of Kenya on the back straight and then refused to let the 2012 Olympic champion Taoufik Makhloufi of Algeria pass on the home stretch.Centrowitz crossed the line in 3 minutes 50.00 seconds, with Makhloufi on silver with 3:50.11 and New Zealand‘s Nicholas Willis taking bronze in 3:50.24. Kiprop had to settle for sixth.The US had not won the event since Mel Sheppard triumphed at the 1908 Games in London.The 1,500m kicked off a seven-final frenzy on the last night of Rio competition in the Olympic Stadium. The others are the women‘s 800m, 4x400m and high jump; and the men‘s 5,000m, 4x400m and javelin. The final athletics event of the Rio Games is the men‘s marathon on Sunday.