THOUGHTSLEADER wrote:
To be clear Laros was a non-factor. Of the guys you mentioned who comprise both events, Mills was the most in form but I’d take both Nuguse and Nico Young over him in the 3K. And then in the 1500, again a 9-person final with 4 fit guys (2 were eliminated in a collision - Gourley and Farken), so it was Habz and Nader. I’d take this years Nuguse over either of them at their level of fitness at that time. Jakob would certainly be favored to win but he’s been favored in 2022-2024 and lost in unpaced championship final races where he’s faced the best. The point is not that Hocker is Jakob but that doubling at USAs wasn’t easy. A 12-person field with more fit guys who are fresh ups the difficulty over 9-person finals with 3-4 guys filling lanes mostly.
Yeah, doubling at USAs was a tall task, and it's only getting tougher. The trials in 2028 are going to be an absolute bloodbath. There are literally no spots close to locked up in the 15 or 5.
All I'll say is that the "Cole = Jakob" people like to minimize Jakob's Euro golds, and his Euro doubles as if they aren't that tough. As Sunday showed, even when one guy is a clear favorite, these wins shouldn't be taken for granted.