Australia will have a runner in the men's 800m final at an Olympics for the first time in more than 50 years after Peter Bol won his semi final on Sunday in a blistering time of 1:44.11.
Bol broke his own Oceania record, set in the heats on Saturday, to qualify for the final with the second-fastest time.
Kenya's Ferguson Rotich, who beat Bol home in the heat, qualified fastest for Wednesday's final.
MORE: Peter Bol focused on medals after breaking records
The Sudanese-born Bol will be the first Aussie in the 800m final at an Olympics since Ralph Doubell in Mexico City in 1968.
Doubell took out the gold medal on that occasion and immediately following Bol's semi final win, Seven commentator Bruce McAvaney said the 27-year-old Western Australian was capable of emulating that feat.
Speaking after the race, Bol wasn't about to declare himself the gold medallist in-waiting, but said anyone could win the final.
"That's a big call, but first thing's first, job's done today but there's still a lot to go," Bol said.
"You can't underestimate any of these runners, top of the world, any day someone could come out and beat you so I've got to stay focussed, stay humble, creating a lot of noise back home, so got to stay humble with that.
"I'm taking everyone on a journey, my sister, she said she was so nervous, it's all over now, you just got to wait a few more days for it all over again."
When is the men's 800m final?
Bol will line up against some of the world's best on Wednesday, August 4, with the starter's gun set to sound at 10:05pm AEST (9:05pm local time in Tokyo).
That gives Bol and his counterparts three days recovery before the final.
How to watch the men's 800m final?
As with the rest of the Tokyo Games, Aussies can tune into the final live on Channel Seven.
The men's 800m final can also be streamed online through the 7plus app.
Wednesday night will also play host to the finals of the women's 3000m steeplechase, men's hammerthrow and men's 200m.
Who is in the men's 800m final?
A field of eight have qualified for the final.
The first two across the line in the semi final 1 - Poland's Patryk Dobel and Emmanuel Korir from Kenya.
Automatic qualifiers from semi final 2 - Peter Bol and Clayton Murphy (USA)
First and second place in semi final 3 - Ferguson Rotich and Bosnia and Herzogovina's Abel Tuka.
As well as the next two fastest non-automatic qualifiers - Frenchman Gabriel Tual and Spain's Adrian Ben.
Botswana's Nijel Amos will also run in the final after being reinstated following a fall in his semi final.
Amos goes into the final with the season best (1:42.91), as well as the fastest personal best (1:41.73), among the nine men.
Men's 800m final odds
Rotich will go into the final as a warm favourite, just outside even money.
Bol is fourth favourite, at $8.
| Ferguson Rotich (KEN) | $2.10 |
| Nijel Amos (BOT) | $3.40 |
| Emmanuel Korir (KEN) | $8 |
| Peter Bol (AUS) | $8.50 |
| Clayton Murphy (USA) | $9.50 |
| Patryk Dobek (POL) | $10 |
| Abel Tuka (BIH) | $26 |
| Gabriel Tual (FRA) | $67 |
| Adrian Ben (SPN) | $67 |
Peter Bol semi final run
Bol ran a near perfect race in the semi final, sitting in position 1A just behind Canadian pacemaker Marco Arop.
As Arop faded after the final turn, Bol took the lead in the home straight and managed to hold off the challengers as American Clayton Murphy and France's Gabriel Tual rounded out the placegetters.
"It was a weird race but I backed myself and I put myself in the best position to qualify, so even if I didn't I would have been happy with it, so it pays off," Bol said after the race.
Give me a B, give me an O, give me an L!
— 7Olympics (@7olympics) August 1, 2021
PETER BOL IS THE FIRST AUSSIE SINCE 1968 TO MAKE THE 800m FINAL!!#Tokyo2020 | #7Olympics pic.twitter.com/19DyMyyYcJ
