Lagat Speeds to Win in 1,500

In case anyone needed a reminder, Bernard Lagat proved that he’s still one of the best middle-distance runners around, no matter what country he represents, with a dominating performance Sunday at the Adidas Track Classic.

Lagat, a two-time Olympic medalist for Kenya who recently received American citizenship, ran a 54-second final lap to easily win the 1,500 meters in 3:34.34 at the Home Depot Center.

Lagat’s time, the fastest by an American this year, was well off his personal best of 3:26.34 in 2001, but good enough to give him hope that he’ll break Sydney Maree’s national record of 3:29.77.

“It should not take long from now,” said Lagat, who won a 1,500 Olympic bronze in 2000 and silver in 2004. “I believe that if I get into one of those fast races elsewhere this year, I’ll get it.”

Lagat said he would not run in next month’s U.S. national championships, because he’s ineligible for this year’s world championships; international rules require a three-year wait for athletes who change citizenship.

Lagat’s 2004 medal may be in jeopardy because he became an American three months before last year’s Athens Games. According to the Kenyan constitution, Lagat lost his citizenship once he became a citizen of another country, and the Olympics require athletes to be a citizen of the country represented.

With the International Olympic Committee looking into the case, Lagat did not talk much about his citizenship. But he said that his situation is different from other top Kenyan athletes such as Nicholas Kemboi and Saif Saeed Shaheen, who have recently renounced their citizenship, reportedly for financial reasons.

“It’s a touchy subject,” said Lagat, 30, who attended Washington State and has lived in the U.S. since 1996. He said his reason for leaving Kenya is legitimate. “It’s not for the money.... It cost me a lot of money to leave.”

Lagat said the reason he didn’t disclose his change of citizenship until last month is personal.

“It’s about my future and what I’m going to be able to do after my career,” said Lagat, who lives in Tucson. “I want to live in America.”

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In the women’s 400, Sanya Richards added to her strong start this season with a start-to-finish victory in 50.00, just off her season-leading mark of 49.96. “I’m just focusing hard on my last 100,” said Richards, who ran on the U.S.’ winning 1,600-meter relay team at Athens and finished sixth in the 400 at Athens last year.

Two-time Olympic silver medalist Terrance Trammell won the 110-meter hurdles in 13.11, just off his personal best of 13.09, and finished third in the 100 in 10.17.

Two-time Olympian Shayne Culpepper won the women’s 1,500 in 4:07.08. Ethiopian Marko Geneti, 20, won the 3,000 in 7:38.11. Erin Aldrich won the women’s high jump with a mark of 6-3 1/2 .