You'd have to believe Jewett fell on his own and took down Amos. I don't see it that way. I see a runner whose normal stride hits the runner behind with his right foot. I don't see Jewett making an improper pass or cut-in. IMO both stay or go.

it's sort of like not getting vaccinated for COVID, its inexplicable, or there is some ridiculous circular explanation that makes no sense. All I can come up with is Amos is a former silver medalist in the 800m and somehow that provides enough weight to pass him to the final.

Jewett trips on himself, Amos has nowhere to go but fall. Can be seen with some slow motion. The referees seems to have sorted it out well.

One can only assume the officials decided that the initial contact was incidental and Amos went down due to Jewett's fall. Had Jewett not fallen, Amos would have stayed on his feet. Looking at replays you could reasonably argue that Amos initiated contact and sparked the chain of events, making a good case for both to advance. I think Jewett should have a place in the final.

This! It’s on video.

Maurice

Here is another angle:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Bqpg2eStSE

Jewett starts to go down when his rear extension hits Amos, who is following too closely. From 1:28

There isn't (at least I can't see) any contact. Jewett trips on himself.

Here is another useful breakdown, hopefully more helpful:
https://www.letsrun.com/...=10752925&page=6
"animaxcg" posts a series of Zapruder like stills at the bottom of page 7

Warning: reading LetsRun message boards likely kills brain cells like cheap tequila.

Same, I can see precisely zero contact. Jewett’s left foot lands on the inside curb.

It sucks but the 800 and the steeple are (to a degree) attrition events.

Maurice

Check, rewatching my recording frame-by- frame I do see contact by Jewett's right foot to Amos knee! I was wrong, there is contact. Good thing I'm not a referee. :-)

Honestly, it's a really tough call. I ran 800s a long time ago, and they are rough affairs at relatively high pace. Hard to avoid contact and presumably just as hard to officiate.

After seeing it again on NBC, 100% sticking with my initial reaction.

Yeah, the slow mo on page 5 indicates contact right foot to left knee. Ideally it should be a 10 person final with Jewett in front of Amos in lane 9.

Amos shouldn’t be in necessarily, but he protested and won.

that is hard for me to see from other angles.

Maurice

Not true. That video is not clear, but watching live on NBC, you could see his left foot hit Amos and then come back overlapping his right foot causing the fall. They showed many replays and watching it you could see where the alignment of the foot was caused by the bump of Amos.

Very true. It's pretty silly for the refs to claim that Jewett completely hooked his right foot over the back of his left leg for no reason.

Another question though... Amos had the inside line earlier in the turn, and Jewett was overtaking. Jewett moved over to the inside before he seemed to have a clear gap, causing Amos to slow a bit (?). The contact occurred as Amos was moving to the outside of Jewett. Is the responsibility on Jewett or Amos?

If Jewett had initiated contact as soon as he'd moved to the inside it would be clear cut I think, but a couple strides happened between that move and the contact.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Bqpg2eStSE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlQFkBrZADs

It's not a foul, but the Kenyan surging past on Amos's right pushes Amos left enough that Jewett's kick clips Amos's leg. Highly likely that without the Kenyan surging past at that moment there is no contact between Amos and Jewett. But that's racing. I'd put both Jewett and Amos in the final running out of the same lane together.