About 25 years ago I recall my coach saying that Coe said that he was a jacked up 400 runner.
Maybe he said it in his book, or his father's book.
That's where I got the idea that he was a 400 runner that moved up.
Maybe not.
But I still stand by me saying that I was a 400/800 runner that became an 800/1500 runner.
Runners tend to move up in distance until they find their best event.
If your best event turns out to be the 800, you likely won't make serious 1500 attempts. That's the 400/800 type.
Some good 800 runners are nearly as good or even better at the 1500.
Nick Symmonds is an interesting case.
At 3:34, he put up a good 1500m time.
But he only ran the 800 at championship events.
I'd say he's a 800/1500 type that would be an 800 specialist, an exception to my rule.
I'm making the assumption that we are putting all 800m runners in either one bucket or the other.