As pointed out already, trying to convince us that it's the coach's decision is just passing the buck. Why not admit you're dodging?
Update. We have spoken to the coaches of Kerr and Wightman. Here is our article on the matter. Wightman is not going for sure. Kerr is still on the fence.
Jake Wightman Won't Run 2024 World Indoors; Josh Kerr Still Deciding - LetsRun.com
As pointed out already, trying to convince us that it's the coach's decision is just passing the buck. Why not admit you're dodging?
Les wrote:
That's a tough decision. If World Indoors was a week after Milrose and had no rounds, I'd say why not? 3 weeks later means sacrificing 3 weeks of Olympic preparation for something who's importance pales next to the Olympics. I doubt Kerr would even be considering World Indoors if it wasn't being held in Scotland. There's also the lose-lose scenario: Kerr runs World Indoors, loses, then loses the Olympics because he didn't devote himself completely to Olympic preparation. It would be hard to stomach losing the Olympics in your prime knowing you didn't put 100% into winning.
In a normal year (like last year) he’d run the Birmingham 1500 2 weeks after Millrose. So it’s a 1 week difference as far as preparation with Birmingham no longer an option. There’s also no evidence that the “sacrifice” would have the monumental impact you think it has. A marginal impact seems more likely for 1 week longer in indoor training mode, and a little extra travel (though he was happy to do it last year).
Next guy doing next guy things.
HIS COACH IS SMART. HE KNOWS KERR CANT HOLD A PEAK A WHOLE SEASON MUCH LESS MAYBE AND THATS A BIG MAYBE ONE MEET BEING THE OLYMPICS.
YOU KNOW LIKE JACOB TRIED TO DO.
JAKOB HAS EXECUTED 98% OF THE TIME ACROSS ALL DISCIPLINES, DOUBLING EVEN AND WORST HE DOES IS SECOND, THE WORST.
KERR HAS ONE EVENT, HAS THE RACE OF HIS LIFE, AND DESERVEDLY WINS. I WOULD STILL PUT ALL MY MONEY ON JAKOB VS THE FIELD.
rojo wrote:
Josh Kerr said he's "mighty disappointed" that he's not a finalist for the BBC
Sports Personality of the Year award. Let this serve as my official statement that I'll be "mighty disappointed" if Josh Kerr and/or Jake Wightman skip out on World Indoors in his native Scotland.I've long had a suspicion this was going to happen as I've seen no press releases saying they were running it which seemed odd to me as they are the two biggest male track and field athletes in Scotland. Today, my suspicion became a big time fear.
Kerr told Sean Ingle of the Guardian the following - which I've made QOD.
“(World Indoors are) in Glasgow. I grew up racing there. So I’m banging the drum for it. But (Coach Mackey is) like: ‘Well, you know, you told me that everything has to be towards this 6 August goal. So why are we getting emotional when, even if you win World Indoor gold, if you don’t make the Olympics, then the year is a failure.’
“It’s difficult to have an American coach sometimes, but it helps in other ways. Whereas if I had a British coach, I think it would be a situation of, like: ‘Let’s get patriotic. Let’s get down to Glasgow and do a job.’ Which is what I want to do. We’re in those discussions now. But it’s been a very difficult conversation and we haven’t come to any conclusions yet.
“Also, I’ve had this Olympics circled for a very, very long time – 12 years, to be exact. I realised that at that point I’d be at the peak of my career and in the 1500m it made sense that this would be the one. I look back sometimes and think: ‘If I could dream up coming into the year as a current world champion, already having won an Olympic bronze, I wouldn’t be in a much better situation than I am now.’ So I’m going in with confidence.”
Last year, Kerr ran Millrose Millrose on Feb. 11 and Birmingham on Feb 25. This year, we know he's running Millrose on Feb 11 and World Indoors is just a week later than Birmingham was last year (March 1-3) so he should do it as he barely has to change anything.
As for Wightman, I'm even less confident he might do it. He's running the NBIGP in Boston on Feburary 4, then he's running the Maurie Plant Meet in Australia on 15 February. If someone was planning on getting ready for a Worlds in their homeland, would they really be flying to Australia? I've asked Jonathan Gault to reach out to his camp for comment.
Lastly, any Brits on here? How do you select your team? Is there a Trials race of any sort? What is the date?
Can you imagine how great it would be if Kerr, Wightman and Jakob were all in the 1500 in Scotland? If Kerr & Wightman skip, I really hope Jakob shows up and wins it on their home turf and then is like, "Where are you guys?"
Here is Ingle's article:
He was on home soil, dork
rojo wrote:
Josh Kerr said he's "mighty disappointed" that he's not a finalist for the BBC
Sports Personality of the Year award. Let this serve as my official statement that I'll be "mighty disappointed" if Josh Kerr and/or Jake Wightman skip out on World Indoors in his native Scotland.I've long had a suspicion this was going to happen as I've seen no press releases saying they were running it which seemed odd to me as they are the two biggest male track and field athletes in Scotland. Today, my suspicion became a big time fear.
Kerr told Sean Ingle of the Guardian the following - which I've made QOD.
“(World Indoors are) in Glasgow. I grew up racing there. So I’m banging the drum for it. But (Coach Mackey is) like: ‘Well, you know, you told me that everything has to be towards this 6 August goal. So why are we getting emotional when, even if you win World Indoor gold, if you don’t make the Olympics, then the year is a failure.’
“It’s difficult to have an American coach sometimes, but it helps in other ways. Whereas if I had a British coach, I think it would be a situation of, like: ‘Let’s get patriotic. Let’s get down to Glasgow and do a job.’ Which is what I want to do. We’re in those discussions now. But it’s been a very difficult conversation and we haven’t come to any conclusions yet.
“Also, I’ve had this Olympics circled for a very, very long time – 12 years, to be exact. I realised that at that point I’d be at the peak of my career and in the 1500m it made sense that this would be the one. I look back sometimes and think: ‘If I could dream up coming into the year as a current world champion, already having won an Olympic bronze, I wouldn’t be in a much better situation than I am now.’ So I’m going in with confidence.”
Last year, Kerr ran Millrose Millrose on Feb. 11 and Birmingham on Feb 25. This year, we know he's running Millrose on Feb 11 and World Indoors is just a week later than Birmingham was last year (March 1-3) so he should do it as he barely has to change anything.
As for Wightman, I'm even less confident he might do it. He's running the NBIGP in Boston on Feburary 4, then he's running the Maurie Plant Meet in Australia on 15 February. If someone was planning on getting ready for a Worlds in their homeland, would they really be flying to Australia? I've asked Jonathan Gault to reach out to his camp for comment.
Lastly, any Brits on here? How do you select your team? Is there a Trials race of any sort? What is the date?
Can you imagine how great it would be if Kerr, Wightman and Jakob were all in the 1500 in Scotland? If Kerr & Wightman skip, I really hope Jakob shows up and wins it on their home turf and then is like, "Where are you guys?"
Here is Ingle's article:
I agree. The sport does but I understand his focus and I like the fact Kerr is not silent on anything. That is also good for the sport. Everyone being buddies doesn't draw interest in the sport...
Budapest was immensely valuable. I never realized what a lily liver Josh Kerr is until he won something.
it really is a shame the brits still carry on the cowardly legacy of their ancestors.
dude wins one race & goes on a podcast tour talking trash about his (superior) opponent, then goes back into hiding LOL. can't make it up, what a coward. I bet kerr doesn't even make the olympic finals this year (he will have some excuse, of course).
Another friendly reminder to the JoBros
"Correlation doesn't equal causation"
Don't ivies teach that?
DevonDixonFan wrote:
Only on letsrun will people bash athletes for not running events that nobody cares about except themselves. They aren't your puppets.
Hey man, I don’t wanna be the guy to tell you this, but the “athletes” you’re talking about don’t need you to defend them. They don’t know you, and you’ll never know them. They are professionals and signed up to be in the public eye. This is part of their job. If you don’t like the conversation, kindly log off.
he is ducking jakob, end of story. you know it, he knows it and we all know it.
Rojo's post reminds me- I recall reading a piece at Let's Run, prior to the Tokyo Olympics in which Mr. Kerr was bad-mouthing Centro as a slow insignificant runner. Well, it is true that Centro didn't make the final at Tokyo.
But it's also true that Centro has an Olympic gold and Kerr has a bronze. Here's a guy who tries to take Jakob to task for having an ego! Get offa yer high horse laddie and run World Indoors.
Letsrun are the biggest hypocrites on the planet. you mf’ers would be the first ones to bump an athlete down a tier in the future/hypotherical hall of fame discussion for never winning an Olympic gold.
in 2049 are you telling me the random god damn indoors someone skipped at some point in their career is even going to be discussed?
grow up.
Awsi Dooger wrote:
Budapest was immensely valuable. I never realized what a lily liver Josh Kerr is until he won something.
Josh Kerr has just run 61:51 for the San Diego Half marathon.
Atta boy Kerr wrote:
Letsrun are the biggest hypocrites on the planet. you mf’ers would be the first ones to bump an athlete down a tier in the future/hypotherical hall of fame discussion for never winning an Olympic gold.
in 2049 are you telling me the random god damn indoors someone skipped at some point in their career is even going to be discussed?
grow up.
It's very simple - I like guys who compete a lot. It's one thing to see a guy on an Olympic start line when I've seen him run 5 diamond league races in the past months and another thing when it's some dude who has been MIA for the past 10 months. There's no story line for the latter.
Another thing that I like as a spectator is a good rivalry. Jakob needed a rival on the track AND off the track. So here comes Kerr, wins a gold at world's and talks big in the interviews. Great! Uhh... Except not so great because Kerr chooses to hide for the next 8 months.
IS THIS S A SPORT wrote:
HIS COACH IS SMART. HE KNOWS KERR CANT HOLD A PEAK A WHOLE SEASON MUCH LESS MAYBE AND THATS A BIG MAYBE ONE MEET BEING THE OLYMPICS.
YOU KNOW LIKE JACOB TRIED TO DO.
JAKOB HAS EXECUTED 98% OF THE TIME ACROSS ALL DISCIPLINES, DOUBLING EVEN AND WORST HE DOES IS SECOND, THE WORST.
KERR HAS ONE EVENT, HAS THE RACE OF HIS LIFE, AND DESERVEDLY WINS. I WOULD STILL PUT ALL MY MONEY ON JAKOB VS THE FIELD.
Maybe don’t bet ALL your money on that.
all talk wrote:
Next guy doing next guy things.
LOL! Post of the day!
Galen Rupp ran the 3000 in world indoors in 2016 in his hometown of Portland four weeks after winning the Olympic marathon trials. He knew he wouldn’t run well but did it anyway for his hometown. That’s how it’s done, Josh.
IF Josh Kerr runs in Scotland, I think it likely that he would run the 3000m. He has little to gain (if he loses) running the 1500m. In the 3000m, after the 2mile WR attempt, he would be sharper for that event and it is still base development for him. Jakob should do the same, coming back from injury (if he competes at all). I could therefore see the 3000m as being the better event, which is fine. Nuguse as well should run the 3000m (again if at all), same with Katir and Kejelcha.
I don't care if the 1500m is the lesser event this time around, let others get experience running the event and possibly getting medals.
Kobbs Hessler wrote:
Galen Rupp ran the 3000 in world indoors in 2016 in his hometown of Portland four weeks after winning the Olympic marathon trials. He knew he wouldn’t run well but did it anyway for his hometown. That’s how it’s done, Josh.
I love when athletes compete all the time, different distances. It’s fantastic. But this is an individual sport and everyone needs to do what’s best for themselves. I don’t think it’s Kerr or Wightman’s obligation to race in Glasgow if their coaches feel that doing so will potentially jeopardize their form for August. They have both run well in major championships and I trust that their coaches are making the correct call, with the primary goal of making the British team in June and then the final in Paris.