Leonel Manzano

1,500 m: 3:32:37 Mile: 3:50.64

Leonel "Leo" Manzano ( born September 12, 1984) is an American middle distance runner who has the 1500 m, or specialize the mile.

Youth

Born in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato Mexico, Manzano is drawn at the age of four years with his family to Texas. He grew up in Granite Shoals. There, he excelled at the Marble Falls High School, where he was in the Texas 4A State Championships won on the track and in cross total of 9 tracks. His best times as a student lying in 1:50:48 over 800 -meter run, 4:06 on the mile, and 9:06 over two miles.

College career

For a stay at the University of Texas, Austin, Manzano graduated with the local track team an extended session, which was about 8 miles (13 km ) long. At the end of the training Manzano is said to have reported that this was the longest run he had ever finished. As a student ( "prep" ) Manzano had outstanding talent and the fact that he had until then never coached high volumes, his great potential was granted. Manzano's early talent did not go unnoticed for long and gave him a starting place in the team from the University of Texas, where he won five NCAA titles. In addition, he won 9 All American titles and still holds four school records, namely the indoor mile ( 3:58.78 ), 1,500 meters ( 3:35:29 ), and the mixed Distance- medley ( long-distance scales ) outdoors and in the hall. Height of his last year as a student culminated in the award of the "Men's Track Athlete of the Year " award of the USA Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association ( USTFCCCA ). He is also the first Texans, who managed to snag a spot in the Olympic team of the United States about 1500 m and the most excellent athlete at the University of Texas.

Professional career

Three weeks after he had finished his last race in college to Manzano could qualify with a strong sprint at the U.S. Trials for the Olympic Games in Beijing. There he reached the 12th place in the semi-finals.

Manzano had his breakthrough at international level in the 2009 season, where he failed to qualify for the World Championships for the final 1500m. In the same year he was able to victories at the Reebok Grand Prix (now Adidas Grand Prix) recorded in New York and British Grand Prix in Birmingham, as well as several second places at the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final in London and in Rieti.

In 2010, he participated in several meetings of the Diamond League in part, where he set personal bests over the mile ( 3:50.64 ), 800 m in ( 1:44:56 ), and 1500 m in ( 3:32:37 ) within three weeks. He was then selected for the Continental Cup and was able to win bronze over 1500 m there. A series of injuries had a poor season in 2011 result. In 2012, he was back to his old form and was winner over 1500m at the USA Indoor Championships and at the Olympic Trials and was thus qualified for the Olympic Games in London. During his career Manzano was the USA 6 times in total represent at international championships. This includes the participation in the Olympic Games in 2008 and 2012.

In the final over 1500 meters at the Games in London Manzano was able to win the silver medal by its typical strong final sprint. This Manzano is the first American since Jim Ryun in 1968, which was able to win in the Olympics over 1500 meters a medal. With this performance, he ended a 44- year drought for the American middle distance.