Anyone who argues a "would have" in sports reveals the heights of their idiocy. "Would have" is for weak-minded, irrational fanboys. There is do or not do--win or not win--all your magical thinking amounts to a mere whining about actual reality. It's of course funny, if pathetic.
Has Aregawi always had the gear shift? I don't recall having seen it before he kicked past about five runners including Grant Fisher in the last 100 m of the Olympic 10,000 m Final in Paris to take the silver medal.
It’s definitely really come on the last 2 years, but he had shown hints of it before but the problem was it was frequently in the moves before the final 200. Now he’s gotten way better at deploying it.
Has Joshua Cheptegei ever beaten Bryce Hoppel in a race? Using people’s logic that if you don’t show up it doesn’t matter, Fisher’s 10,000 medal in an even Jakob has never ran on the track makes this question a little silly.
Except that Fisher has raced Jakob over 3000m and Jakob has won all three times. In fact last time they raced a 3000m head to head (Silesia 2024), Jakob won by 32 seconds :)
the honest truth is that today was a good, solid win for Jakob. It certainly wasn't impressive by his own standards. What he did at Euros was much more impressive. 2:19 FLAT for the final 1000/3:34 for the final 1500 is a pace any of them would have needed to be at their very best to even have a chance to sniff him.
The difference is that the 3000m was the last race in Apeldoorn so Jakob could go all in.
In this Nanking 3000m he had to save a bit for the 1500m today.
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I think the OP is partly right:
A Hocker in his Millrose 3000m shape would have beaten Jakob if the 3000m race had been run as the race was yesterday.
And a Kerr in top shape would also have been able to beat Jakob. Fisher no; he isn´t fast enough.
BUT...........................
if the 3 top dogs, Hocker, Kerr and Jakob entered a 3000m race indoor or outdoor on EQUAL terms, that is either had Hocker and Kerr also run heat in the 1500m the day before OR all of them were only running the 3000m..............
then Jakob would have crushed them by running a very fast last 1000m. If he is fresh he can possibly go sub 2:19 if the first 2000m was run in about 5:20 and neither Hocker nor Kerr would be strong enough aerobically to match that.
Kerr ran the last 1000m in Glasgow last year in 2:24.62. Jakob ran the last 1000m in 2:22.77 yesterday, but as said he could have run sub 2:19 if he was fresh.
Kerr´s 2miles WB equals a 3000m in around mid 7:25 which is 8 seconds slower than Jakob´s PB so of course Kerr wouldn´t be able hang on to a very fast 1000m.
Yet another example:
Kerr´s 2 miles WB indoors:
First 2,216.68m 5:34.1
Last 1000m 2:26.55
Last 800m 1:56.55
last 400m 56.65
Jakob´s 2 miles WB in Paris:
2,216.68m 5:30.0
Last 1000m 2:24.10
Last 800m 1:53.8
Last 400m 55.60
And Jakob ran the last more than 1000m alone wheras Kerr got perfect pace from Fisher all the way.
And Jakob´s 2 miles WB is already history. His 3000m WR indicates a mid 7:51 in the 2 miles (around 2.5 sec faster than his 2 miles WB). And probably a 2:23 or faster for the last 1000m. He ran low 2:22 after a low 4:55 in the first 2000m in his 3000m WR race.
I actually think Hocker would have a better chance than Kerr to beat Jakob in a 3000m on equal terms but doubt he is strong enough aerobically to do it at this stage (and he might never attain Jakob´s level of endurance).
Has Joshua Cheptegei ever beaten Bryce Hoppel in a race? Using people’s logic that if you don’t show up it doesn’t matter, Fisher’s 10,000 medal in an even Jakob has never ran on the track makes this question a little silly.
I’m not sure about your last sentence, but the ranges for Ingebrigtsen and Fisher overlap at 5000m, and the distance is a good metric as to who is the better runner of the two.
Fisher has never come close to beating Jakob and Hocker has beaten him just once and Hocker can't even out kick Fisher and at the longer distances Kerr would be destroyed!