Don’t get me wrong. I think Jakob is a once in a lifetime
force in Track & Field. I feel his 7:54 2-mile may be the greatest
performance of all time. But I don’t see him breaking El-G’s 1500-meter record
unless he changes his tactics. Instead of blasting the last 100 meters he needs
to blast at least the last 200 meters. I know that can be riskier if your goal
is to win every race but if his goal is to be a legend, he needs to do that.
I put the following in the “legend” category:
Herb Elliot for never losing a mile race, having the world record and being the Olympic champ
Peter Snell for the way he ran, the world records and his 3 golds
Daniel Komen for the world records he set in the short time he ran
El-G for his 1500 and mile WRs and his golds
Bekele for his unsurpassed cross-country victories, WRs and his golds
Kipchoge for his never to be beaten marathon number of victories and WR
All the legends took chances and won. It seems to me you are remembered for your world records not a gold medal at the world championships.
I’m rooting for Jakob but in my mind he’s not there yet. But he’s close.
PS – I thought his 5K win in Budapest was fantastic because he showed up even though he was sick. Jakob is warrior who gives much more than many other prima donnas we all know.