It's official: Laros is the favorite. Laros BLASTS field in DL finale - Nuguse goes home devastated in 7th

That's quite a lot of assumptions about how things will go.

We dont even know who's in the finals at this point to be talking about 'team tactics'

Why do you think the Kenyans would wait until the final to pull one of their well known but little acknowledged stunt? 😄

i can see the final being a 3:32. If no Jakob, I could even see 3:40. Who is gonna take it out?

Habz? Koech?

Maybe we get the 2025 bicarb version of Fermin Cacho's win.

could see a crazy fast final lap.

so which guy are you saying is going to focus on tanking someone else's race vs trying to get to the final themselves?

Again, just like the consistent talk about 'team tactics' in the 5k for the Ethiopians that never materializes, these things are highly race specific and very unlikely to follow some conspiracy in advance

3:40 is crazy. I don't think there's been a world final won in that time for a while besides the 2016 olympics :) Koech definitely has a decent kick, but it's not that good at slower paces as shown in the last two races he's run

Doped to the gills?

one of the real questions for Tokyo favorites... who can summon as close to a 12-mid kick in a 3:29 race after rounds?

the main protagonists who've shown that capability best to close that fast recently (not incl. effect of rounds, and could be missing some):
- Laros (Brussels and Zurich 2025)
- Hocker, Strand, Jonah Koech (USAs 2025)
- The Cheruiyots (their 12.1/12.2 in Silesia 2025, also Reynold closed 12.7 today)

For other contenders, Phanuel Koech is looking much more like a strength based guy based on his last 100m (weirdly given his 800m background), Habz too. I don't think Kerr has closed that hard, certainly not Kingebrigtsen.

the scarier thing to me is Laros has been doing it on the DL circuit and I can't imagine that he's fully tapered for these races... Hocker's kick was a bit dusted in 3:29/3:30 DL races under similar circumstances (Lausanne 1500m last year)

Laros is shining through with the killer instinct which we see from Kerr, but with an upgraded kick. either way this whole event is a fascinating tossup and race positioning/rounds management is key

It’s sad no one will ever give credit to what Timothy Cheruiyot has brought to Tomasz Lewandowski’s group!
Almost the same effect Mo Farah brought to Salazar group years ago!
But keep quiet huh😆

It's part of the LRC sub-culture. I had to use that phrase. Are you new around here?

You think they were happy with the result? My job is to entertain you - the fans - not lie and right things nicely to placate the athletes.

He’s not

I wouldn't sleep on Jonah Koech right now.

His final 100 at USAs was faster than Hocker and Laros in a 3:30 race (:12.49) and that was including rounds and also after taking quite a bit of time off from racing this summer.

And Kerr has closed a final 100 in 12.51 (June 5th at the GST in Philly) plus he has not shown his cards throughout the summer (except at 5000)

Also, Hocker is definitely great at peaking at the right moment, seems to have more strength this year than last year, and is a great tactician with a lethal kick.

Laros seems like the obvious money choice at WCs this year but he hasn't raced Hocker, J Koech or Kerr at all in 2025. Each of those three could easily podium and/or beat Laros

The Kenyans race clean and honorable, historically (and I say this as an American).

Jakob gets himself into trouble, Kerr sometimes the same, also causing problems for others, George Mills a bit of a disaster every other race. But don’t let that get in the way of your jingoism.

As someone who knows way more about this than you, I would just advise you that a 3:26 is not the only way to best Laros. It is odd that you cannot grasp this. Laros looks good right now, but the medals aren’t being handed out now. There are way too many good runners and way too many scenarios that could play out in which Laros could lose, and you and apparently Rojo, are prisoners of the moment. Well the moment passes and the new moment arrives. There are a handful of contenders to the throne. Laros has won August. September awaits.

You think he goes home happy?

We Norwegians are clining to the last straws. Nordås 3:30.26 in Pfungstadt. 53.0 last 400. Håkon Moe Berg has "the kick". And Jakobs only chance is to run progressively, 56 - 55. 5 - 55 - 40. Am afraid that Laros will crush him even at that speed.

The more races we have, the better Kerr's London Diamond League performance looked. Now that (as predicted) Koech's 'talent' is wearing off before World's, suddenly Kerr's 3:29 in mid-July when his kick wasn't quite at his usual standards is putting him in a very good place I would say. At this point I'd say the gold is his or Laros'.

Tim C. is actually in the same training group as Laros, as is Nillessen.

This is a better take than it’s getting credit for. Maybe unlikely, overall, but more likely than we think? We just saw Hocker smoke everyone in the 5k…

Ok, thanks Oracle. You clearly know far more than I do, although I'm not sure what more there is to know than Laros VERY clearly has a 3.27 in his legs right now, and with an unmatched kick at anything slower (and likely at that pace too).

I'll stand by what I said. Unless the race is sub 3.27, I cannot see him losing.

Let's remember though, however you much you claim to "know", this is about opinions and nothing else at this stage.