Why are you surprised? Both Gressier and Beamish have excellent kicks. Championships are almost never time trials, where the runner with the fastest PB wins. Championships are usually won by a runner applying a superior kick at the perfect moment. Nader won the 1500 doing this as well.
Actually, Jimmy has spoken about how, prior to this season, he saw his kick as his weakness.
Source: I listened to his interview on the Safe Pace podcast episode in French (so there's a possibility I misunderstood). Here's the english verson:
Why are you surprised? Both Gressier and Beamish have excellent kicks. Championships are almost never time trials, where the runner with the fastest PB wins. Championships are usually won by a runner applying a superior kick at the perfect moment. Nader won the 1500 doing this as well.
Came to say this. If you have a world class kick along with decent strength, you’re a medal threat