Off Track ..... Good son Lagat seeks payback to US

Bernard Lagat will fulfil a pledge he made to his mother and give the United States a golden payback if he wins the Olympic 1,500m for his adopted country.

The Kenyan-born 33-year-old finished second behind Hicham El Guerrouj in Athens four years ago and received comforting words from his mom.

"She told me my time would come at the next Olympics and I would win gold," he told a news conference on Wednesday. "I promised to work extra hard. If I win she will be jumping up and down and I wish I could be there to see those emotions."