Algerian Paralympian Abdellatif Baka has taken home the 1500 metre Gold medal in Rio.

What has left many onlookers shocked was his race time, a lazy 3:48.29 minutes. Not only is that bloody fast but it’s a quicker time than the Rio Olympic Gold Medallist.

Matthew Centrowitz Jr. of the U.S took home the Gold in Rio with a time of 3 minutes and 50 seconds, almost 2 seconds slower than Paralympic Gold Medallist Baka.

I just found out that the 4th place winner of the Paralympic 1500m race wouldve won gold with his time had he ran in the Olympics… #wow — AlexElizabeth (@Alex_reedskie) September 12, 2016

Wow indeed.

However it isn’t as simple as “Baka would have won the Rio Olympic Gold”- as some people are suggesting. (see below).

Amazing /// These 4 Paralympic runners would have beaten every Olympic runner in the 1500m final https://t.co/H7cizfF7rB via @Mic — kristina (@mudkri) September 13, 2016

The 1500 metre Olympic Final was a tactical race. A huge element of the 1500 metre race is pace-making. Front runners set the pace whilst the rest of the field wait to pounce and make their late move towards the finish line. The pace during the 1500 metre Olympic final was indeed slow.

Baka’s performance was an outstanding one and highlights just how high the standards that the Paralympians have reached.

Yes his winning time was faster than the Gold Olympic time but to provide some perspective, the A qualifying time to make it to the Olympic Final was 03:36 which means Baka would not have qualified to start in the 1500 metre Olympic Final.

Nonetheless his performance and the performances of the Paralympians in Rio have been nothing short of phenomenal and has left us all blown away.

by Michael T. Lynch – contributor