GUAM’s own track and field standout Derek Mandell had his 2012 London Olympic stint concluded after failing to qualify and moving on after competing at the men’s 800m semifinals heat one race at London's Olympic Stadium.
Mandell, known region-wide for his stamina and determination, qualified for the Olympics with a personal best of 1:56.51.
During yesterday's event-opening heat, Mandell finished with a time of 1:58.94, nearly two and a half seconds slower than his personal best. Competing in the same heat and advancing into the semifinals were: Botswana's Nijel Amos (1:45.90), Brazil's Fabiano Pecanha (1:46.29), and Spain’s Luis Alberto Marco (1:46.86).
Although Mandell’s time wasn’t fast enough to advance him to the semifinals, he did, however, record a faster time than two other athletes in the event’s other heats, including Nicaragua’s Edgar Cortez (1:58.99) and Kyrgyzstan’s Erzhan Askarov (1:59.56).
