The best global championship 1500m racer of this generation.
Golds: Tied with four other guys who have won exactly one outdoor championship this decade. Ingebrigsten, Wightman, Kerr, Hocker, Nader. One each.
Medals: Jakob has more top-3s than anyone: 2021 gold, 2022 silver, 2023 silver. Jakob's championship 1500m hardware is unmatched by any active runner. (Kerr's medal record is 2021 bronze, 2023 gold, 2024 silver.)
Not a single man has won two global championship 1500s, since...Asbel Kiprop.
His medals are matched by Tim (gold, 2x silvers). Maybe you are saying they are different generations but considering Tim matched Jakobs Paris finish in Tokyo last year that seems odd.
Good point. "This generation" was not the right term for me to use; I'll amend to "this era" or "this decade."
Indeed, Tim also collected global silver (2017), gold (2019), silver (2021)!
I'd give Jakob a thin edge, as the gold in his collection was OG and Tim's was WC.
That was a nice hand-off to Jakob when they both medaled in 2021. Though with a 3:29 and a 3:30 in 2025, maybe Tim can get back on terms with these guys. (30 is not young in the mile, though.)
Meanwhile, nobody has mustered more than one global men's 1500m win since Asbel. So I find it amusing when people say Jakob is a poor championship racer -- not a single active runner has won more. 🤷♂️
His medals are matched by Tim (gold, 2x silvers). Maybe you are saying they are different generations but considering Tim matched Jakobs Paris finish in Tokyo last year that seems odd.
Good point. "This generation" was not the right term for me to use; I'll amend to "this era" or "this decade."
Indeed, Tim also collected global silver (2017), gold (2019), silver (2021)!
I'd give Jakob a thin edge, as the gold in his collection was OG and Tim's was WC.
That was a nice hand-off to Jakob when they both medaled in 2021. Though with a 3:29 and a 3:30 in 2025, maybe Tim can get back on terms with these guys. (30 is not young in the mile, though.)
Meanwhile, nobody has mustered more than one global men's 1500m win since Asbel. So I find it amusing when people say Jakob is a poor championship racer -- not a single active runner has won more. 🤷♂️
He is not a poor championship racer relative to the rest of the athletes but he is poor in the sense that he has disappointed relative to his ability level. Although it's arguable that the depth at every global championship since 2021 has gotten harder and harder so when you compare Jakob to other guys like Lagat/Morceli/Coe/Elliot it's hard to compare. He is still in my top 5 1500m runners ever.
He is not a poor championship racer relative to the rest of the athletes but he is poor in the sense that he has disappointed relative to his ability level. Although it's arguable that the depth at every global championship since 2021 has gotten harder and harder so when you compare Jakob to other guys like Lagat/Morceli/Coe/Elliot it's hard to compare. He is still in my top 5 1500m runners ever.
He certainly isn’t poor overall as his 5,000 titles show. He is just perhaps flawed because whether it be execution (2019, 2022, 2024) or illness (2023), his worst 1500m race of the year (or more tellingly his worst last 200) has been in the global final. 2021 was more straightforward and lower difficulty level but still it was his best race ever at the time so that’s to be commended.
This post was edited 28 seconds after it was posted.
He is not a poor championship racer relative to the rest of the athletes but he is poor in the sense that he has disappointed relative to his ability level. Although it's arguable that the depth at every global championship since 2021 has gotten harder and harder so when you compare Jakob to other guys like Lagat/Morceli/Coe/Elliot it's hard to compare. He is still in my top 5 1500m runners ever.
He certainly isn’t poor overall as his 5,000 titles show. He is just perhaps flawed because whether it be execution (2019, 2022, 2024) or illness (2023), his worst 1500m race of the year (or more tellingly his worst last 200) has been in the global final. 2021 was more straightforward and lower difficulty level but still it was his best race ever at the time so that’s to be commended.
The 5000m final was first in Doha and he maxed out in that race. He just didn’t have the fitness/energy really in the 1500 but I get how maybe the leading took some time off of him. I think Jakob has been a little unlucky unfortunately with illness and his tactics. I would have loved to see whether he could have won if he had opened up slower in paris (56 first lap). Hopefully he reaches that level again.
Good point. "This generation" was not the right term for me to use; I'll amend to "this era" or "this decade."
Indeed, Tim also collected global silver (2017), gold (2019), silver (2021)!
I'd give Jakob a thin edge, as the gold in his collection was OG and Tim's was WC.
That was a nice hand-off to Jakob when they both medaled in 2021. Though with a 3:29 and a 3:30 in 2025, maybe Tim can get back on terms with these guys. (30 is not young in the mile, though.)
Meanwhile, nobody has mustered more than one global men's 1500m win since Asbel. So I find it amusing when people say Jakob is a poor championship racer -- not a single active runner has won more. 🤷♂️
He is not a poor championship racer relative to the rest of the athletes but he is poor in the sense that he has disappointed relative to his ability level. Although it's arguable that the depth at every global championship since 2021 has gotten harder and harder so when you compare Jakob to other guys like Lagat/Morceli/Coe/Elliot it's hard to compare. He is still in my top 5 1500m runners ever.
Yeah saying he's a poor championship racer isn't accurate given his record and hardware - it's just that he's unfortunately one dimensional. If he had a Tim C taking him out like he did in 2021 he'd probably knocking on the door of a legitimate GOAT argument, if he had the ability to run 56.0, 55.8, 55.7 from the front in world finals it would be the same. But unfortunately it's harder than it looks - even with the high volume practice of DL meets and wavelight.
But it is this single-dimension that makes it tough for him in the annuls of great 1500m men, because the guys you mentioned - El G, Morceli, Coe, Elliot were both great time triallers and great racers - especially Morceli at 3.28.86 in 92 and then 3.27.37 in 95 combined with some of the most staggering final laps in formatively slow 1500m finals ever seen (50.62 to win in Stuttgart in 3.34.24 off 1.59.3 at 800m).
I think I agree with you though on 5th spot behind that group. I think he's ahead of Snell as just a 1500m runner and also ahead of Walker. Pretty tight with Cram because Cram was a WR holder (albeit when the WR was much slower) with Cram having the World title and Olympic silver vs the Olympic title and world silvers (sadly no worlds for Cram in 85 when he was at his absolute best). Definitely ahead of Aouita.
End of the day this is rare air and he's in it, he's definitely one of the greatest 1500m of all time and that's not even accounting for his work in the 5000m.
He is not a poor championship racer relative to the rest of the athletes but he is poor in the sense that he has disappointed relative to his ability level. Although it's arguable that the depth at every global championship since 2021 has gotten harder and harder so when you compare Jakob to other guys like Lagat/Morceli/Coe/Elliot it's hard to compare. He is still in my top 5 1500m runners ever.
Yeah saying he's a poor championship racer isn't accurate given his record and hardware - it's just that he's unfortunately one dimensional. If he had a Tim C taking him out like he did in 2021 he'd probably knocking on the door of a legitimate GOAT argument, if he had the ability to run 56.0, 55.8, 55.7 from the front in world finals it would be the same. But unfortunately it's harder than it looks - even with the high volume practice of DL meets and wavelight.
But it is this single-dimension that makes it tough for him in the annuls of great 1500m men, because the guys you mentioned - El G, Morceli, Coe, Elliot were both great time triallers and great racers - especially Morceli at 3.28.86 in 92 and then 3.27.37 in 95 combined with some of the most staggering final laps in formatively slow 1500m finals ever seen (50.62 to win in Stuttgart in 3.34.24 off 1.59.3 at 800m).
I think I agree with you though on 5th spot behind that group. I think he's ahead of Snell as just a 1500m runner and also ahead of Walker. Pretty tight with Cram because Cram was a WR holder (albeit when the WR was much slower) with Cram having the World title and Olympic silver vs the Olympic title and world silvers (sadly no worlds for Cram in 85 when he was at his absolute best). Definitely ahead of Aouita.
End of the day this is rare air and he's in it, he's definitely one of the greatest 1500m of all time and that's not even accounting for his work in the 5000m.
The great 1500m runners you mention operated in is very different world to the one Jakob has faced, especially when we are talking professionalism, sports science, testing and exposure. It is very hard to compare across generations, so it is worth noting this.
For example, did any of the other competitors really know what they were dealing with when they faced Herb Elliot? They probably knew he was good, but they had no idea really and were left in his wake wondering what happened. It was easier to be better than most, they're all basically amateurs anyway. "Good show old boy, but back to my day job now". I'm exaggerating, but you get the point.
Whereas, Jakob has literally had a crosshair on his back in every major race, paid professional teams strategising their race on his, far greater depth, training, stakes and knowledge of your competitors. Jakob provides his competitors certainty, and a default game plan. 1 vs 11 is very hard. As Cram said in an interview with Tim Hutchings, "I would have loved to race against Jakob".
Despite of all this, he has still founds way to dominate and progress the sport forward, single handedly breaking the African reign over the mid-distance / distance events. This is probably his point of difference over the other great runners.
This post was edited 1 minute after it was posted.
He is not a poor championship racer relative to the rest of the athletes but he is poor in the sense that he has disappointed relative to his ability level. Although it's arguable that the depth at every global championship since 2021 has gotten harder and harder so when you compare Jakob to other guys like Lagat/Morceli/Coe/Elliot it's hard to compare. He is still in my top 5 1500m runners ever.
Yeah saying he's a poor championship racer isn't accurate given his record and hardware - it's just that he's unfortunately one dimensional. If he had a Tim C taking him out like he did in 2021 he'd probably knocking on the door of a legitimate GOAT argument, if he had the ability to run 56.0, 55.8, 55.7 from the front in world finals it would be the same. But unfortunately it's harder than it looks - even with the high volume practice of DL meets and wavelight.
But it is this single-dimension that makes it tough for him in the annuls of great 1500m men, because the guys you mentioned - El G, Morceli, Coe, Elliot were both great time triallers and great racers - especially Morceli at 3.28.86 in 92 and then 3.27.37 in 95 combined with some of the most staggering final laps in formatively slow 1500m finals ever seen (50.62 to win in Stuttgart in 3.34.24 off 1.59.3 at 800m).
I think I agree with you though on 5th spot behind that group. I think he's ahead of Snell as just a 1500m runner and also ahead of Walker. Pretty tight with Cram because Cram was a WR holder (albeit when the WR was much slower) with Cram having the World title and Olympic silver vs the Olympic title and world silvers (sadly no worlds for Cram in 85 when he was at his absolute best). Definitely ahead of Aouita.
End of the day this is rare air and he's in it, he's definitely one of the greatest 1500m of all time and that's not even accounting for his work in the 5000m.
The aggravating part is that he’s one dimensional by choice. We’ve seen him kick well in rounds and wind it up from 800 out in lesser championships, but at WC/OG he tries to do the (almost) impossible year after year. If he had a teammate pace him like El G he’d be unbeatable, but even without that, I don’t understand why he doesn’t use his Euros 2024 race as a blueprint.
His obsession with winning his way has definitely hurt his legacy. Funny how the most impressive 1500m he’s ever run is considered a disaster because he finished 4th.
As an aside, I thought Jakob's holder brother, Henrik Ingebrigtsen, had replaced Wessfeldt as agent? Did I get that wrong, or did J already change agents back?
I believe the holder brother is in a holding pattern.
He is not a poor championship racer relative to the rest of the athletes but he is poor in the sense that he has disappointed relative to his ability level. Although it's arguable that the depth at every global championship since 2021 has gotten harder and harder so when you compare Jakob to other guys like Lagat/Morceli/Coe/Elliot it's hard to compare. He is still in my top 5 1500m runners ever.
Yeah saying he's a poor championship racer isn't accurate given his record and hardware - it's just that he's unfortunately one dimensional. If he had a Tim C taking him out like he did in 2021 he'd probably knocking on the door of a legitimate GOAT argument, if he had the ability to run 56.0, 55.8, 55.7 from the front in world finals it would be the same. But unfortunately it's harder than it looks - even with the high volume practice of DL meets and wavelight.
But it is this single-dimension that makes it tough for him in the annuls of great 1500m men, because the guys you mentioned - El G, Morceli, Coe, Elliot were both great time triallers and great racers - especially Morceli at 3.28.86 in 92 and then 3.27.37 in 95 combined with some of the most staggering final laps in formatively slow 1500m finals ever seen (50.62 to win in Stuttgart in 3.34.24 off 1.59.3 at 800m).
I think I agree with you though on 5th spot behind that group. I think he's ahead of Snell as just a 1500m runner and also ahead of Walker. Pretty tight with Cram because Cram was a WR holder (albeit when the WR was much slower) with Cram having the World title and Olympic silver vs the Olympic title and world silvers (sadly no worlds for Cram in 85 when he was at his absolute best). Definitely ahead of Aouita.
End of the day this is rare air and he's in it, he's definitely one of the greatest 1500m of all time and that's not even accounting for his work in the 5000m.
Comparing eras isn't easy but it needs to be pointed out that Snell only raced the 1500 at Tokyo, where he easily won (and in a race in Europe at the end of his farewell tour). He most regularly ran the mile, where he was utterly dominant over the best in his era and was twice the world record holder. His world records and his Olympic title (and Commonwealth Games title) and his supremacy over all contemporary rivals has to put him ahead of Ingebrigtsen in their respective eras. Snell had no contenders for being the best in his time. Jakob does - and he doesn't have the world records at either the mile or 1500, and has "tripped" in a series of global 1500 championship finals.
He certainly isn’t poor overall as his 5,000 titles show. He is just perhaps flawed because whether it be execution (2019, 2022, 2024) or illness (2023), his worst 1500m race of the year (or more tellingly his worst last 200) has been in the global final. 2021 was more straightforward and lower difficulty level but still it was his best race ever at the time so that’s to be commended.
The 5000m final was first in Doha and he maxed out in that race. He just didn’t have the fitness/energy really in the 1500 but I get how maybe the leading took some time off of him. I think Jakob has been a little unlucky unfortunately with illness and his tactics. I would have loved to see whether he could have won if he had opened up slower in paris (56 first lap). Hopefully he reaches that level again.
He won 1500 Silver Medals in the two WCs prior to Paris so his fitness/energy is fine. Even in Paris, he was only .6 seconds behind Hocker so he was at the top of his game and taking the lead from the gun took plenty of energy.
As for tactics, the other guys having better leg speed put him between a rock and a hard place. I had also thought trying to go wire to wire, was his best chance. The strategy of ever increasing acceleration is nonsense.
Yeah saying he's a poor championship racer isn't accurate given his record and hardware - it's just that he's unfortunately one dimensional. If he had a Tim C taking him out like he did in 2021 he'd probably knocking on the door of a legitimate GOAT argument, if he had the ability to run 56.0, 55.8, 55.7 from the front in world finals it would be the same. But unfortunately it's harder than it looks - even with the high volume practice of DL meets and wavelight.
But it is this single-dimension that makes it tough for him in the annuls of great 1500m men, because the guys you mentioned - El G, Morceli, Coe, Elliot were both great time triallers and great racers - especially Morceli at 3.28.86 in 92 and then 3.27.37 in 95 combined with some of the most staggering final laps in formatively slow 1500m finals ever seen (50.62 to win in Stuttgart in 3.34.24 off 1.59.3 at 800m).
I think I agree with you though on 5th spot behind that group. I think he's ahead of Snell as just a 1500m runner and also ahead of Walker. Pretty tight with Cram because Cram was a WR holder (albeit when the WR was much slower) with Cram having the World title and Olympic silver vs the Olympic title and world silvers (sadly no worlds for Cram in 85 when he was at his absolute best). Definitely ahead of Aouita.
End of the day this is rare air and he's in it, he's definitely one of the greatest 1500m of all time and that's not even accounting for his work in the 5000m.
The aggravating part is that he’s one dimensional by choice. We’ve seen him kick well in rounds and wind it up from 800 out in lesser championships, but at WC/OG he tries to do the (almost) impossible year after year. If he had a teammate pace him like El G he’d be unbeatable, but even without that, I don’t understand why he doesn’t use his Euros 2024 race as a blueprint.
His obsession with winning his way has definitely hurt his legacy. Funny how the most impressive 1500m he’s ever run is considered a disaster because he finished 4th.
Yeah I agree with that too. Some of the Euro wins were awesome and not just DL imitation efforts like what he tried to replicate at the world and Olympic level 3 consecutive times. And those races weren't failures in the bigger picture - just for a guy with his level of talent and ability I think even he would have expected a better return than 2 silvers and a fourth.
Back to your earlier point I truly believed that in Paris we would see a "Abdi Bile/El G-04"esque strategy where the opening 500m would have been in the 73-73.5 second range which is basically 59 flat pace and then a merciless wind-up over the last 1000m in maybe 2.18.0 or so. When I saw that opening 300m I thought either it's going to be a WR in an Olympic final even greater than Rudisha, or it was going to be tough. It was unfortunately for him the latter.
This post was edited 29 seconds after it was posted.
Yeah saying he's a poor championship racer isn't accurate given his record and hardware - it's just that he's unfortunately one dimensional. If he had a Tim C taking him out like he did in 2021 he'd probably knocking on the door of a legitimate GOAT argument, if he had the ability to run 56.0, 55.8, 55.7 from the front in world finals it would be the same. But unfortunately it's harder than it looks - even with the high volume practice of DL meets and wavelight.
But it is this single-dimension that makes it tough for him in the annuls of great 1500m men, because the guys you mentioned - El G, Morceli, Coe, Elliot were both great time triallers and great racers - especially Morceli at 3.28.86 in 92 and then 3.27.37 in 95 combined with some of the most staggering final laps in formatively slow 1500m finals ever seen (50.62 to win in Stuttgart in 3.34.24 off 1.59.3 at 800m).
I think I agree with you though on 5th spot behind that group. I think he's ahead of Snell as just a 1500m runner and also ahead of Walker. Pretty tight with Cram because Cram was a WR holder (albeit when the WR was much slower) with Cram having the World title and Olympic silver vs the Olympic title and world silvers (sadly no worlds for Cram in 85 when he was at his absolute best). Definitely ahead of Aouita.
End of the day this is rare air and he's in it, he's definitely one of the greatest 1500m of all time and that's not even accounting for his work in the 5000m.
Comparing eras isn't easy but it needs to be pointed out that Snell only raced the 1500 at Tokyo, where he easily won (and in a race in Europe at the end of his farewell tour). He most regularly ran the mile, where he was utterly dominant over the best in his era and was twice the world record holder. His world records and his Olympic title (and Commonwealth Games title) and his supremacy over all contemporary rivals has to put him ahead of Ingebrigtsen in their respective eras. Snell had no contenders for being the best in his time. Jakob does - and he doesn't have the world records at either the mile or 1500, and has "tripped" in a series of global 1500 championship finals.
Snell also dominated in an era when African distance and mid-distance runners were largely absent and hadn’t yet emerged as a force majeure. And he had superior training for his era as Lydiard was way ahead of the curve at that time compared to his contemporaries.
Snell was a phenomenal runner no doubt, who most of us weren’t alive to see, but your points are lacking complete data. Now, if you want to say most of the Africans of the 90s were using Epo, among other performance enhancers, I’ll allow it. If you want to assert, as Nick Willis did, that the super shoes are worth 2 seconds over 4 laps (and subtract another 1-2 for bicarb, etc), then I’ll also accept that.
What JI did for the sport and for training has raised the bar for everyone, even as he never really was a pure “miler.” His range is outstanding, and the 7:17 3000 is just a ridiculous feat. A feat I, also, doubt he is ever able to revisit, although it’s hard to see anyone getting there.
This post was edited 51 seconds after it was posted.
Comparing eras isn't easy but it needs to be pointed out that Snell only raced the 1500 at Tokyo, where he easily won (and in a race in Europe at the end of his farewell tour). He most regularly ran the mile, where he was utterly dominant over the best in his era and was twice the world record holder. His world records and his Olympic title (and Commonwealth Games title) and his supremacy over all contemporary rivals has to put him ahead of Ingebrigtsen in their respective eras. Snell had no contenders for being the best in his time. Jakob does - and he doesn't have the world records at either the mile or 1500, and has "tripped" in a series of global 1500 championship finals.
Snell also dominated in an era when African distance and mid-distance runners were largely absent and hadn’t yet emerged as a force majeure. And he had superior training for his era as Lydiard was way ahead of the curve at that time compared to his contemporaries.
Snell was a phenomenal runner no doubt, who most of us weren’t alive to see, but your points are lacking complete data. Now, if you want to say most of the Africans of the 90s were using Epo, among other performance enhancers, I’ll allow it. If you want to assert, as Nick Willis did, that the super shoes are worth 2 seconds over 4 laps (and subtract another 1-2 for bicarb, etc), then I’ll also accept that.
What JI did for the sport and for training has raised the bar for everyone, even as he never really was a pure “miler.” His range is outstanding, and the 7:17 3000 is just a ridiculous feat. A feat I, also, doubt he is ever able to revisit, although it’s hard to see anyone getting there.
That's what we said about Komen's WR. I never though I'd see that broken in my lifetime; yet here we are. I suppose there's always someone else.
The aggravating part is that he’s one dimensional by choice. We’ve seen him kick well in rounds and wind it up from 800 out in lesser championships, but at WC/OG he tries to do the (almost) impossible year after year. If he had a teammate pace him like El G he’d be unbeatable, but even without that, I don’t understand why he doesn’t use his Euros 2024 race as a blueprint.
His obsession with winning his way has definitely hurt his legacy. Funny how the most impressive 1500m he’s ever run is considered a disaster because he finished 4th.
In 2021, he ran smart.
In 2022, though it was before he had gotten so stubborn and it really seemed like he was going to run it smart. He let Kipsang and Tim get it going for the first 600 — great ~ free pacemaking. He glided by 2 laps before the finish, again smart. Kipsang was going to slow it to 57+ for lap 2 and allow for a burnup
Now, I have no idea why he was so obsessed with holding the lead from there to the finish. Really he'd done what he had to do from 600m in to 850m in to ensure that half the field (in 3:31 shape) would be irrelevant. At 850m to go 1050m to go Tim tried to pass him, and he should've let him. Tim would maybe slow it down a bit but not much. Jakob had run against him enough to know that he liked a long run to the finish. Jakob afterwards blamed Tim for sabotaging his own race, but you could easily argue that Jakob's reaction to it was the more self-sabotaging decision. While it's not like giving up the lead is something that athletes love to do, at 650 to go or 450 to go on an outdoor track in a very honest pace I don't think you often see that level of protecting a lead (indoors is different). Later in the race that changes of course.
Nonetheless,Jakob wasted all this energy combating surges while Wightman just let the duo battle in front of him. Then he had none of the same energy in blocking Wightman's abrupt and somewhat dicey pass at 200 to go. Maybe that was mental/physical fatigue from blocking two potential passes from before. Whatever it was, the last 50 change of gears is not Jakob's signature and he kicked even with Wightman but not good enough to win an athlete he should've beaten.
In Budapest, it's actually harder to quibble but he took the lead at 500 in which just makes it a full 2/3 of the race from the front which is difficult. At less than 100% he wasn't good enough to beat Kerr even running the shortest line, pushing Kerr wide, and being allowed to front-run without anyone trying to pass him until the last 200.
This post was edited 2 minutes after it was posted.
The aggravating part is that he’s one dimensional by choice. We’ve seen him kick well in rounds and wind it up from 800 out in lesser championships, but at WC/OG he tries to do the (almost) impossible year after year. If he had a teammate pace him like El G he’d be unbeatable, but even without that, I don’t understand why he doesn’t use his Euros 2024 race as a blueprint.
His obsession with winning his way has definitely hurt his legacy. Funny how the most impressive 1500m he’s ever run is considered a disaster because he finished 4th.
In 2021, he ran smart.
In 2022, though it was before he had gotten so stubborn and it really seemed like he was going to run it smart. He let Kipsang and Tim get it going for the first 600 — great ~ free pacemaking. He glided by 2 laps before the finish, again smart. Kipsang was going to slow it to 57+ for lap 2 and allow for a burnup
Now, I have no idea why he was so obsessed with holding the lead from there to the finish. Really he'd done what he had to do from 600m in to 850m in to ensure that half the field (in 3:31 shape) would be irrelevant. At 850m to go 1050m to go Tim tried to pass him, and he should've let him. Tim would maybe slow it down a bit but not much. Jakob had run against him enough to know that he liked a long run to the finish. Jakob afterwards blamed Tim for sabotaging his own race, but you could easily argue that Jakob's reaction to it was the more self-sabotaging decision. While it's not like giving up the lead is something that athletes love to do, at 650 to go or 450 to go on an outdoor track in a very honest pace I don't think you often see that level of protecting a lead (indoors is different). Later in the race that changes of course.
Nonetheless,Jakob wasted all this energy combating surges while Wightman just let the duo battle in front of him. Then he had none of the same energy in blocking Wightman's abrupt and somewhat dicey pass at 200 to go. Maybe that was mental/physical fatigue from blocking two potential passes from before. Whatever it was, the last 50 change of gears is not Jakob's signature and he kicked even with Wightman but not good enough to win an athlete he should've beaten.
In Budapest, it's actually harder to quibble but he took the lead at 500 in which just makes it a full 2/3 of the race from the front which is difficult. At less than 100% he wasn't good enough to beat Kerr even running the shortest line, pushing Kerr wide, and being allowed to front-run without anyone trying to pass him until the last 200.
He ran smart in 2021? Cheruiyot pushing the pace hard from 400m was a dream come true for Ingebrigtsen. Cheruiyot turned it into a de facto DL race and Jakob rarely loses such races. If Cheruiyot had done the same thing at the two WC and Olympic races, Ingebrigtsen would have three more Gold Medals.
Your first WC take seems like some 20/20 analysis. He’s got to put pressure on the kickers so it makes sense for him to take the lead from aways out. Wightman had run 1:43.6 that year so Ingebrigtsen wouldn’t have beaten him in a slower, more tactical race. As bad as you say his strategy was, he still beat all of the kickers besides one.
He ran smart in 2021? Cheruiyot pushing the pace hard from 400m was a dream come true for Ingebrigtsen. Cheruiyot turned it into a de facto DL race and Jakob rarely loses such races. If Cheruiyot had done the same thing at the two WC and Olympic races, Ingebrigtsen would have three more Gold Medals.
Your first WC take seems like some 20/20 analysis. He’s got to put pressure on the kickers so it makes sense for him to take the lead from aways out. Wightman had run 1:43.6 that year so Ingebrigtsen wouldn’t have beaten him in a slower, more tactical race. As bad as you say his strategy was, he still beat all of the kickers besides one.
It's not really 20/20 analysis when he said as much after the race. The race was fast through 650m and he made the critical decision to ensure it wouldn't lag from there. That was good, I am not criticizing that one bit for him. His next big decision was whether he cared if he led the whole way from there or if he was content if someone else (he likely suspected this would be Tim) wanted the lead more before the last 300 meters. The "pressure on the kickers" thing was done, which is why it was just him, Jake and then the Kenyans in contention to beat him.
So, I think him taking the lead and pushing on was totally appropriate and fine. But the race was too fast to be exerting so much energy to hold the lead at multiple points, only to let it go so easily at the end. He was stubborn about it and it cost him. You could argue Tim was too stubborn too about insisting on trying to pass Jakob. At Commonwealths he was less so, and then beat Wightman and barely lost to Olli's surprise run.
Excellent to see. In 2024 you can see he started doing intervals the very beginning of March. So he's about 7 weeks behind then.
By roughly 11 weeks later at Pre Classic (May 25) he was in great, but not peak shape (lost to Kerr but beat Nuguse).
So that gives us a hopeful outlook that he could be in quite good shape for an early/mid-July opener and potentially close to top form for August/September. Of course that means everything goes great like in 2024, and no setbacks.
