Dude, you keep citing Hocker’s wins at USA’s as proof that he is a great championship performer. Uh, who has won the last three European Championship 1500m Titles, while pushing significantly from the front. Jakob, as an 18 year old, literally out ran Wightman and Lewandowski in Berlin. The reality is that most of you forget about these things because you can only look at his paced races. I’m not sure if it’s bias or just unawareness.
In 2024, Hocker beat Olympics positions 3 and 5 at USAs. The top guy Jakob beat was Gourley at a distant position 10. Last year it was just a plain tougher competition.
2022 Jakob got Jake Heyward (didn’t make Worlds, PB 3:31.0), and Mario Garcia Romo (position 4 at Worlds, true). 2018, the names sound impressive but Wightman was a back of the pack DL guy then and Lewandowski was just making the transition. Doesn’t quite help your argument that Jakob was way better the next year but in a championship lost to Lewandowski.
In 2025, Hocker lost to World's position 13 and DNS (out of the heats strand). He then didn't make the final. Jakob beat position 1 and the 1500m world leader in Apeldoorn.
In 2023, Hocker lost to World's position DNS and 5.
In 2022, Hocker was DNS.
In 2021, Hocker beat DNS runners Centro and Nuguse.
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In 2024, Hocker beat Olympics positions 3 and 5 at USAs. The top guy Jakob beat was Gourley at a distant position 10. Last year it was just a plain tougher competition.
2022 Jakob got Jake Heyward (didn’t make Worlds, PB 3:31.0), and Mario Garcia Romo (position 4 at Worlds, true). 2018, the names sound impressive but Wightman was a back of the pack DL guy then and Lewandowski was just making the transition. Doesn’t quite help your argument that Jakob was way better the next year but in a championship lost to Lewandowski.
In 2025, Hocker lost to World's position 13 and DNS (out of the heats strand). He then didn't make the final. Jakob beat position 1 and the 1500m world leader in Apeldoorn.
Very delayed response. Not sure the relevance of Hocker’s 2025 is to a discussion of his/Jakobs 2024 and Jakobs 2018. You can enlighten me on that. Hocker was short on big performances in 2025 as his best time (7:23 3K) and championship performances (USA/Worlds 5K titles) were overdistance. He had an OK Pre Classic, USAs and GST series for the 1500/mile. The premise was always he’d peak for Worlds at 1500 and we just don’t know now. It doesn’t diminish his 2024 though or make Jakobs 2018/24 better.
EDIT: And now 2021-3 Hocker is being brought up? Obviously Jakob was better in every regard those years. But Hocker still had an exceptional 2024 and that years USA field was better than either the 2018/2024 Euros field by any metric.
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Dude, you keep citing Hocker’s wins at USA’s as proof that he is a great championship performer. Uh, who has won the last three European Championship 1500m Titles, while pushing significantly from the front. Jakob, as an 18 year old, literally out ran Wightman and Lewandowski in Berlin. The reality is that most of you forget about these things because you can only look at his paced races. I’m not sure if it’s bias or just unawareness.
Like many of you, I’ve watched just about every meaningful 1500/mile race run by Jakob, Kerr, Hocker, Nguse and all of the rest of the top guys. I can’t believe that anybody can do that and sincerely pick anybody as being better than Jakob. Yes, the best person can lose, even lose a big race. This happens all of the time in sports. Andy Murray beat Djokovic at Wimbledon. Has Andy Murray ever been a better tennis player than Djokovic? Never, not even on that day. Now, maybe Hocker will become better. It’s possible, but I doubt it.
Agreed. It's absurd really to suggest that Jakob isn't the best. He even gave the opportunity for the other three guys to prove that he isn't after he had an injury all year (but they failed horribly). Hocker didn't win a single 1500m race the whole year and didn't make the final. Kerr won two GST meets but was irrelevant the rest of the year, last in the final. Nuguse didn't have Jakob to run behind so he got outsprinted multiple times (GST x3, Pre, USA's, Brussels, Zurich). I will give him credit though for winning an impressive Silesia race, but Jakob has several of those.
Agreed. It's absurd really to suggest that Jakob isn't the best. He even gave the opportunity for the other three guys to prove that he isn't after he had an injury all year (but they failed horribly). Hocker didn't win a single 1500m race the whole year and didn't make the final. Kerr won two GST meets but was irrelevant the rest of the year, last in the final. Nuguse didn't have Jakob to run behind so he got outsprinted multiple times (GST x3, Pre, USA's, Brussels, Zurich). I will give him credit though for winning an impressive Silesia race, but Jakob has several of those.
He IS the best in a paced 1500m race. The arguments on this site have always been in an unpaced race. He lost 2 straight to Kerr, and Hocker seemingly has the skillset to beat both from how Paris went. That is the argument.
In 2025, Hocker lost to World's position 13 and DNS (out of the heats strand). He then didn't make the final. Jakob beat position 1 and the 1500m world leader in Apeldoorn.
Very delayed response. Not sure the relevance of Hocker’s 2025 is to a discussion of his/Jakobs 2024 and Jakobs 2018. You can enlighten me on that. Hocker was short on big performances in 2025 as his best time (7:23 3K) and championship performances (USA/Worlds 5K titles) were overdistance. He had an OK Pre Classic, USAs and GST series for the 1500/mile. The premise was always he’d peak for Worlds at 1500 and we just don’t know now. It doesn’t diminish his 2024 though or make Jakobs 2018/24 better.
EDIT: And now 2021-3 Hocker is being brought up? Obviously Jakob was better in every regard those years. But Hocker still had an exceptional 2024 and that years USA field was better than either the 2018/2024 Euros field by any metric.
That was not what the discussion was about. It was about who was the most outstanding championship performer over the last 5 years. So I can also pick and choose races that are relevant towards that discussion just like you did.
"that years USA field was better than either the 2018/2024 Euros field by any metric." But not better than the European Indoor or World Indoor field Jakob beat in 2025. Oh wait, it's indoors it doesn't matter, oh wait Nader and Habz weren't peaked and didn't care about winning gold in Nanjing/Apeldoorn, oh wait Nader isn't actually that good and is unpopular with the rest of the world who cares...Seriously? The double standard is hilarious. Jakob could beat Hocker, Kerr, or Nuguse several times, paced or unpaced but then the argument back would be "oh they aren't peaked, they don't care about USA's or the diamond league final or the European indoor and outdoor championships, they are prepping for the big one like they always have, that's why they are better championship performers than Jakob!" Well this year they failed horribly at that.
Not sure what the relevance of other distances have to do with the 1500m and who was the best championship performer over the last several years, you can enlighten me on that. I know Jakob has simultaenously been overdistance since he was 17, while winning all of those 1500m races...
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Agreed. It's absurd really to suggest that Jakob isn't the best. He even gave the opportunity for the other three guys to prove that he isn't after he had an injury all year (but they failed horribly). Hocker didn't win a single 1500m race the whole year and didn't make the final. Kerr won two GST meets but was irrelevant the rest of the year, last in the final. Nuguse didn't have Jakob to run behind so he got outsprinted multiple times (GST x3, Pre, USA's, Brussels, Zurich). I will give him credit though for winning an impressive Silesia race, but Jakob has several of those.
He IS the best in a paced 1500m race. The arguments on this site have always been in an unpaced race. He lost 2 straight to Kerr, and Hocker seemingly has the skillset to beat both from how Paris went. That is the argument.
Let me get this straight.
Hocker has the skillset to beat Jakob and Kerr who, I guess from your POV, are the best in unpaced races. BUT he somehow does not have the skillset to make the WC final while healthy, or to beat Strand and Koech when they showed a month later that they weren't the best at all. Ok.
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Agreed. It's absurd really to suggest that Jakob isn't the best. He even gave the opportunity for the other three guys to prove that he isn't after he had an injury all year (but they failed horribly). Hocker didn't win a single 1500m race the whole year and didn't make the final. Kerr won two GST meets but was irrelevant the rest of the year, last in the final. Nuguse didn't have Jakob to run behind so he got outsprinted multiple times (GST x3, Pre, USA's, Brussels, Zurich). I will give him credit though for winning an impressive Silesia race, but Jakob has several of those.
He IS the best in a paced 1500m race. The arguments on this site have always been in an unpaced race. He lost 2 straight to Kerr, and Hocker seemingly has the skillset to beat both from how Paris went. That is the argument.
I would still argue he is also the best at championship races - he has more medals than anyone else currently running - granted it is very hard to win the 1500m.
Each of the other contenders have had their moment to shine, but I would say Jakob is consistently the guy who is up there with the stats to prove it.
The very fact Hocker completely stuffed up his semi-final, and only managed 3rd at USA's is indication he isn't a smart championship racer.
That was not what the discussion was about. It was about who was the most outstanding championship performer over the last 5 years. So I can also pick and choose races that are relevant towards that discussion just like you did.
"that years USA field was better than either the 2018/2024 Euros field by any metric." But not better than the European Indoor or World Indoor field Jakob beat in 2025. Oh wait, it's indoors it doesn't matter, oh wait Nader and Habz weren't peaked and didn't care about winning gold in Nanjing/Apeldoorn, oh wait Nader isn't actually that good and is unpopular with the rest of the world who cares...Seriously? The double standard is hilarious. Jakob could beat Hocker, Kerr, or Nuguse several times, paced or unpaced but then the argument back would be "oh they aren't peaked, they don't care about USA's or the diamond league final or the European indoor and outdoor championships, they are prepping for the big one like they always have, that's why they are better championship performers than Jakob!" Well this year they failed horribly at that.
Not sure what the relevance of other distances have to do with the 1500m and who was the best championship performer over the last several years, you can enlighten me on that. I know Jakob has simultaenously been overdistance since he was 17, while winning all of those 1500m races...
It is obviously fair to criticize all 3 this year. None won a medal at the 1500 outdoors. Hocker won a gold medal in the 5000, the other two won nothing. Seems like that’d bolster his argument. Jakob is the most consistent 1500m racer and he shows up to the most championships and Diamond Leagues. But he fell short in 2022-24 with a worse medal haul than Kerr. In 2025 it got worse. Yes injury was the reason, but you didn’t write off Hockers 22-23 for injury nor Kerr’s 2025. I think Jakob is great but I don’t give him the best odds to win the big ones any more.