Definitely not a good thing to have these races announced as openers are so close to worlds and then strike them from the schedule. Especially for Jakob, who has cut his teeth on heavy racing schedules, and I think it would’ve benefited from continuity from indoors to now.
Something I’ve been thinking about: a lot of the dialogue surrounding Yakov’s metal chances given his health has been compromised training hurts him in the 1500 but he’s still the heavy 5K favorite.
But I feel like it might be the opposite? If his training has been stop and start, and he lacks fitness, perhaps he’s more vulnerable than the 5K where someone among the Ethiopian or American contingents will be willing to make the race faster.
In the 1500, if it’s not him pushing early, then who? There’s no Yared (for now). With his abbreviated racing and training schedule, maybe the 800 m squeeze in the 1500 is more in his wheelhouse.