Two-time Olympic 1500m medallist Nick Willis faces a nervous wait to find out if he will get an Olympic 1500m swansong.
Nick Willis competing at the 2017 world champs in London. Photo: Photosport
Willis, who claimed silver at the 2008 Beijing Games and bronze at Rio in 2016, has narrowly finished outside the cut-off of 45 athletes for Tokyo at the end of the qualification period.
The 38-year-old, who didn't achieve the automatic qualification standard, finished 47th on the rankings list, having only slipped outside the top 45 in the past couple of days.
But Willis' dreams of finishing his Olympic career with a fifth Games appearance were not over.
He needed two of the qualified athletes to return their spots to World Athletics before Friday (NZ time), when the final list for the Games was locked in.
Athletics New Zealand high performance director Scott Goodman believed there was a good chance that would happen.
"In Nick's case, there is a reasonable likelihood he will move back into the 45 because, in his event, some athletes are qualified in the 800, the 5000 metres or even the steeplechase.
"We're relying on other countries in the world to be honest and declare to World Athletics where the athletes are going to be entered. He only needs two athletes to move.
"We're optimistic."
Willis wasn't the only New Zealand athlete faced with an anxious wait.
Young discus thrower Connor Bell, who needed to be top 32 in that event's rankings, had slipped to finish in 34th.
Goodman said the 20-year-old's situation had changed "somewhat unexpectedly" in the last couple of weeks.
Connor Bell Photo: Getty Images
Bell needed at least two qualified athletes to be injured or unavailable under their country's selection process to claim a last-gasp spot for Tokyo.
Goodman admitted it would be a nervous couple of days for the athletes.
"Countries have to declare whether they intend to enter athletes in the event and then the list is republished on the first of July.
"With a bit of lag time, because it's all managed through World Athletics in Europe, it will be the second of July before we really know exactly where the guys sit."
Regardless of what happened with Willis, New Zealand were still guaranteed to have a representative in the men's 1500m at the Tokyo Games.
Rising Tauranga talent Sam Tanner had a spot secured after the 20-year-old went under the automatic qualifying standard of 3:35.00 back in February.
Both Willis and Tanner were part of the 15-strong group of athletics representatives conditionally named by the NZOC back in April, with Willis set to be the first New Zealand male to compete in the sport at five Olympics.
The US-based Wellingtonian finished third at the Beijing Games but was promoted to second after the winner Rashid Ramsi of Bahrain was disqualified for doping.
After a ninth-place finish at the London Olympics in 2012, he landed on the medal dais for a second time in Rio, collecting bronze.
Willis was also a three-time Commonwealth medallist, having won gold in Melbourne in 2006 and picked up bronze at both the Delhi 2010 and Glasgow 2014 Games.
