To address the first point, they have a very specific argument about EPO’s effect on well-trained runners at high altitude. I honestly don’t know, but I’d tend to agree with you that there is likely some performance-enhancing effect. But it’s not a simple factual mistake like yours often are. I’m not going to correct already corrected things for you or then, but I can acknowledge them. Anyhow…
So Elias Ngeny is your favorite whipping boy. I’ve always found it odd, he is a pretty unremarkable case. With limited opportunities he was a 1:49 athlete in heats of Kenyan domestic competition in 2018 at age 22, 1 month. He did make a large progression in 2021. Of course he had a possibly important progression in COVID where he ran the 1500 a bit. We also don’t know how many races in 2019-20 are missing from his ledger. He also took on Patrick Sang as coach at some point. He had his best-ever race of 1:43.84, but he’s been more of a 1:44-45 type guy since. This is decidedly not so crazy/evidence of anything. He ran 1:44.0 in 2022, but didn’t have sufficient tests to make the team. Contrary to your point, again nothing insane. If you watch him run, he is a kicker. He doesn’t drive the pace and comes from the back. So he is not going to make a B level European race or an unpaced Kenyan one fast. So he often runs in the 1:45-6 range. He ran 1:44.79 this year in even split fashion, but didn’t run great in his 2 races in China (respectably in the first).
Now for Komen, he clearly has taken a major step this year. That was a messy 3:32 and beating a slew of 3:30 or faster guys. It featured a 26.5 last 200 (12.9 last 100). His PB was at altitude and pushed Reynold to his absolute limit. Everyone knows Komen is currently in 3:30 shape. It is unfair to box him in as doping/not doping based on some arbitrary time range which will be dependent on his DL schedule. I also would love to hear just how much of a running background Komen has. It sounds like late 2022/early 2023 was his first serious training. But of course to join a camp like Complete Sports and seeking Kwalia’s help he probably had some inkling of his potential.
I suspect we will learn more and from his postrace interview, you can tell he is improving his English. Hoping someone can profile him because there is a lot to learn about him.