Athletics at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Men's 1500 metres

Men's 1500 metres at the Games of the XVIII Olympiad
Venue	Olympic Stadium
Dates	17–21 October
Competitors	50 from 34 nations
Medalists
Peter Snell  New Zealand Josef Odložil  Czechoslovakia John Davies  New Zealand

The men's 1500 metres was the third-longest of the seven men's track races in the Athletics at the 1964 Summer Olympics program in Tokyo. It was held on 17 October, 19 October, and 21 October 1964. 50 athletes from 34 nations entered, with 7 not starting the first round. The first round was held on 17 October, with the semifinals on 19 October and the final on 21 October.

Results

First round

The top four runners in each of the 4 heats advanced, as well as the next two fastest runners from across all heats.

First round, heat 1

Place	Athlete	Nation	Time
1	Witold Baran	Poland	3:45.3
2	John Davies	New Zealand	3:45.5
3	Dyrol Burleson	United States	3:45.6
4	Ergas Leps	Canada	3:46.4
5	Bill McKim	Great Britain	3:46.8
6	Hansrüedi Knill	Switzerland	3:47.2
7	Denos Adjima Beche	Ivory Coast	3:53.5
8	Basil Clifford	Ireland	3:54.9
9	Neville Myton	Jamaica	3:57.0
10	R. Subramaniam	Malaysia	3:59.4
—	Ahmed Issa	Chad	Did not start
	Nguyet Van Ly	Vietnam	Did not start
	J. G. Neira Carvajal	Colombia	Did not start

First round, heat 2

Place	Athlete	Nation	Time
1	Michel Bernard	France	3:44.1
2	Jurgen May	United Team of Germany	3:44.2
3	John Whetton	Great Britain	3:44.2
4	Jim Ryun	United States	3:44.4
5	Karl-Uno Olofsson	Sweden	3:44.8
6	Olavi Salonen	Finland	3:46.8
7	Francesco Bianchi	Italy	3:47.9
8	Ebrahim Yazdanpanah	Iran	3:54.8
9	Albie Thomas	Australia	3:54.9
10	Tira Klai-Angtong	Thailand	4:08.7
—	Muharrem Dalkilic	Turkey	Did not start
	Jean Randrianjatovo	Madagascar	Did not start

First round, heat 3

Place	Athlete	Nation	Time
1	Kipchoge Keino	Kenya	3:45.8
2	Wolf-Dieter Holtz	United Team of Germany	3:46.6
3	Tom O'Hara	United States	3:46.7
4	Peter Snell	New Zealand	3:46.8
5	Stig Lindback	Sweden	3:47.1
6	Volker Tulzer	Austria	3:49.0
7	Rolf Jelinek	Switzerland	3:51.2
8	Michel Medinger	Luxembourg	3:51.8
9	Chung Kyo Mo	South Korea	3:53.0
10	Hugo Walser	Liechtenstein	3:53.3
11	Anar Khan	Pakistan	3:56.7
—	Michel Jazy	France	Did not start
	Manuel Oliveira	Portugal	Did not start

First round, heat 4

Place	Athlete	Nation	Time
1	Alan Simpson	Great Britain	3:42.8
2	Jean Wadoux	France	3:43.0
3	Josef Odložil	Czechoslovakia	3:43.2
4	Eugene Allonsius	Belgium	3:43.3
5	Simo Važić	Yugoslavia	3:43.7
6	Siegried Valentin	United Team of Germany	3:44.9
7	Sebsibe Mamo	Ethiopia	3:45.8
8	Ivan Belytskiy	Soviet Union	3:46.7
9	Attila Simon	Hungary	3:49.1
10	Toichi Yamaguchi	Japan	3:56.7
11	Eric Amevor	Ghana	3:58.4
12	Patrick Field	Hong Kong	4:02.6

Semifinals

The fastest four runners in each of the two semifinals and the fastest remaining runner qualified for the final.

Semifinal 1

Place	Athlete	Nation	Time
1	Peter Snell	New Zealand	3:38.8
2	Witold Baran	Poland	3:38.9
3	Josef Odložil	Czechoslovakia	3:39.3
4	Michel Bernard	France	3:39.7
5	John Whetton	Great Britain	3:39.9
6	Wolf-Dieter Holtz	United Team of Germany	3:42.3
7	Karl-Uno Olofsson	Sweden	3:44.8
8	Ergas Leps	Canada	3:51.2
9	Jim Ryun	United States	3:55.0

Semifinal 2

Place	Athlete	Nation	Time
1	Dyrol Burleson	United States	3:41.5
2	Alan Simpson	Great Britain	3:41.5
3	John Davies	New Zealand	3:41.9
4	Jean Wadoux	France	3:41.9
5	Kipchoge Keino	Kenya	3:41.9
6	Eugene Allonsius	Belgium	3:41.9
7	Tom O'Hara	United States	3:43.4
8	Jurgen May	United Team of Germany	3:46.8
9	Simo Vazic	Yugoslavia	3:48.3

Final

1500 m final: Alan Simpson (155), Dyrol Burleson (714), Witold Baran (499), John Whetton (160), Peter Snell (466), John Davies (467).

World and Olympic record holder, Herb Elliott was not back to defend his title, having retired from the sport at 24 years of age. 1960 800 metre champion Peter Snell entered the Olympics with the intent of duplicating his feat, doubling over similar distances at the previous 1962 Commonwealth Games. He had already lowered Elliott's mile world record by a tick two years earlier. Snell had already successfully defended his 800 metre title.

As had been his typical strategy, Snell chose to stay in a marking position behind the leaders. Splits were recorded at 400 metres, 800 metres, and 1200 metres. Michel Bernard led after the first lap, Josef Odložil and John Davies were in front after two. Wary of being boxed in as he was in the 1960 Olympic 800, at the bell his countryman Davies held the lead while Snell was boxed in by Dyrol Burleson. He slowed then decisively moved to the outside to be in a position to run. Others were also scrambling for position, Witold Baran made his move and had the lead at the end of the third lap but Davies again assumed the lead down the backstretch. With about 220 metres to go, Snell accelerated, blowing past Baran and Davies, the others would now be racing for second place. Snell extended his lead to almost 10 metres, crossing the finish line 1.5 seconds ahead of anyone else. Through the turn, Alan Simpson got around Davies and Baran, behind them Burleson was moving to the outside. Even further back, Odložil began his final sprint around the outside of Burleson. Davies was able to get barely ahead of Simpson, holding him off at the finish line but that would only be for bronze as Odložil came roaring down the home stretch, catching both before the finish to grab silver.

Place	Athlete	Nation	Time		Lap 1	Lap 2	Lap 3
1	Peter Snell	New Zealand	3:38.1		0:58.8	2:00.7	2:59.5
2	Josef Odložil	Czechoslovakia	3:39.6		0:59.2	2:00.5	2:59.7
3	John Davies	New Zealand	3:39.6		0:59.0	2:00.5	2:59.3
4	Alan Simpson	Great Britain	3:39.7		0:58.9	2:01.0	3:00.0
5	Dyrol Burleson	United States	3:40.0		0:58.3	2:01.1	2:59.6
6	Witold Baran	Poland	3:40.3		0:58.7	2:00.8	2:59.4
7	Michel Bernard	France	3:41.2		0:58.0	2:01.3	2:59.7
8	John Whetton	Great Britain	3:42.4		0:58.5	2:00.7	2:59.9
9	Jean Wadoux	France	3:45.4		0:59.3	2:01.5	3:00.3