How Matt Centrowitz Won a Historic 1,500 Meters

Published by the New York Times on August 21, 2016

When Matt Centrowitz crossed the finish line of the Olympic 1,500 meters on Saturday night, becoming the first American to win the metric mile since 1908, the look on his face was one of disbelief.

Afterward, he told reporters that he had not expected anything more than a silver medal.

Even by Sunday, he said, his victory had not yet fully registered.

“I’m not really processing what needs to be the look of a champion yet,” Centrowitz said, laughing, in a telephone interview. “Just carrying the medal still seems a little surreal.”