Appreciated that Hocker came and raced him and didnt duck like the UK guys did previously
You guys have to stop thinking everyone is ducking after the big championship. Some seasons were structured for peaking then. Some athletes have planned these seasons out over a year ago.
Agreed. Some is better racing sparingly, some need to race a lot. There's no right or wrong.
Anyone catch what he said? My Aunt is deaf and reads lips and she couldn't make it out.
Give your thoughts here.
I’m honestly baffled by why people put Jakob on such a pedestal when it comes to the 1500m. He certainly deserves respect for his 2020/2021 Olympic gold and his WC/Oly 5000m golds. But he’s now been favorite to win the last four 1500m global finals, and has lost every single time in very predictable fashion - first Tefera, then Weightman, then Kerr, and now Hocker/Kerr/Neguse. 5 different guys have humiliated him on the biggest stage in our sport.
Why do I say ‘predictable’? Because he’s actually not really all that exceptional by historical standards. In the ‘super shoe’ era, the times are probably at least 3 or 4 seconds faster. So his 3:26 might really be closer to 3:30 pre super shoes….
So I ask you this hypothetical question…. Jakob basically ran a 3:28 in Paris from the front… same thing in Budapest… same as Eugene. In the pre super shoe era, that’s a 3:30 or 3:31 at best. Question: At any point over the last 40 years (since the early 80s) if you gathered all the world’s best 1500m runners together and said “hey, next year at the WC/Olympics, this guy is going to run from the gun a perfectly even 3:30 / 3:31 pace…. How often in the last 40 years do you think a 3:30/3:31 would win? (again, to be clear, everyone in the field knows excatly how the guy is going to run and have all year to prepare for it!!)
I would venture to say that the 3:30 / 3:31 runner would probably never win. There’s always going to be on or two or even a few guys in the world who can just hunt him down and out kick him. And that’s what we’re seeing with Jakob.
He’s a great 1500m time trialer. And a true champion at 5000m. And his arrogant persona is entertaining and great for the sport. But I just can’t understand why people are so infatuated with him as a 1500m runner when he gets humiliated so often. Is it just because we love watching him lose?
BTW, Fun Fact: His only global title in the 1500m in Tokyo: he didn’t lead a single step of the race till the last 120 meters… heh… go figure!
Because he’s actually not really all that exceptional by historical standards. In the ‘super shoe’ era, the times are probably at least 3 or 4 seconds faster. So his 3:26 might really be closer to 3:30 pre super shoes….
The guy who ran 3:31 at age 17 in 2018 without superspikes is actually still only a 3:30 guy with superspikes several years later... yep checks out.
Or Cheruiyot running 3:28 / 3:29 pre superspikes but when he gets superspikes he doesn't go any faster so he actually got 4 seconds slower for some reason, INSANE logic you got there man.
This post was edited 11 minutes after it was posted.
but it was 7-1 Cheruiyot-Jakob as well in the past. However the trend is that Jakob seems to choke in big races. It's a shame, because his engine is by far the best on this planet.
He did the opposite of establishing his dominance. He's essentially confirmed that he's extremely beatable at a championship even whilst being 1.5 seconds fitter than everyone.
Appreciated that Hocker came and raced him and didnt duck like the UK guys did previously
You guys have to stop thinking everyone is ducking after the big championship. Some seasons were structured for peaking then. Some athletes have planned these seasons out over a year ago.
Yes. And some athletes get slated (Kerr) and others (Muir, Hodgkinson etc don’t). Where was Neil Gourlay? Where was Duguma? We could play this game all night.
Anyone catch what he said? My Aunt is deaf and reads lips and she couldn't make it out.
Give your thoughts here.
BTW, Fun Fact: His only global title in the 1500m in Tokyo: he didn’t lead a single step of the race till the last 120 meters… heh… go figure!
Why does this detract from him, and not from any of his competitors? Also - he has been at the podium in three of the four latest big finals, does that makes everyone else even bigger losers? Or is "losing" a weird thing to say about someone winning medals.
tbh even as a fan, I think everyone would never see him as the prohibitive favorite again after Paris (or even Budapest)
No, Yared honestly fooled us with this season. After Pre last year, I think everyone thought well Jakob certainly looks vulnerable even if he runs lightning quick from the front. But Yared's Monaco and USAs made me think OK this guy is just merely in 3:28mid-high shape at best and not a factor if Jakob runs his best race or 95% (probably what he did). Lo and behold, Nuguse was much more the athlete we saw at Pre last year. Then, there was the Kerr factor which had most people on LetsRun considering Kerr the favorite unless Jakob ran more like he did at Europeans.
Because he’s actually not really all that exceptional by historical standards. In the ‘super shoe’ era, the times are probably at least 3 or 4 seconds faster. So his 3:26 might really be closer to 3:30 pre super shoes….
The guy who ran 3:31 at age 17 in 2018 without superspikes is actually still only a 3:30 guy with superspikes several years later... yep checks out.
Or Cheruiyot running 3:28 / 3:29 pre superspikes but when he gets superspikes he doesn't go any faster so he actually got 4 seconds slower for some reason, INSANE logic you got there man.
really? I mean today didn't matter for anything. Hocker didn't look like he even dug deep...he got the gold.. This was like an exhibition tour of the olympic gold medalist for him. We can only realistically compare then again next season, this one was over after the olympics. Which I think Jaokb will still come out on top, but just saying this meant nothing.