Remember what a 20 year old Hocker could do in 2021. He is finally back in that form with 2 years improvement. Obviously he wouldn’t beat Jakob (or Kerr or Fischer) in a 2 mile time trial. I think the last two championships show that the winner in a time trial isn’t necessarily the winner in a championship and he can shift gears like nobody else
You mean a 20 year old who got tested once in the previous 3 years? Then improved by 11 secs in 1 year,then stopped when getting tested?
1) Hocker is a medal contender now that he is having a healthy season, and he is a class above everyone else in that field.
2) I would bet my house Hocker and Yared go 1 and 2 at the USA trials - not sure the order and barring injury. They both have such a higher ceiling
3) Hobbs ran a terrible ran and still managed to make the team is a great outcome for him. Also hot take, he might have a better shot making the team in the 800m, he could 100% beat Isaiah Harris. The state of USA 800 running on the men side is sad.
Remember what a 20 year old Hocker could do in 2021. He is finally back in that form with 2 years improvement. Obviously he wouldn’t beat Jakob (or Kerr or Fischer) in a 2 mile time trial. I think the last two championships show that the winner in a time trial isn’t necessarily the winner in a championship and he can shift gears like nobody else
That's simply not true. It's a good win for him, but how is it any different to what he has done before? He's always been able to drop the hammer in a slow race, and 3:37 is an event where DLs and global champs are usually won in 3:28/3:29. He hasn't yet shown anything he didn't in 2021. Let's see how he closes in the DL before hanging a medal around his neck
Hobbs didn’t run a very smart race. Made way too many moves, going very wide, passing on turns etc. Lucky he made the team but he’s going to have to clean that up if he wants to make the team for Paris.
This plus Hocker was lucky that the inside opened up so he could make that pass on the rail. I think he just got away from Kessler, running many less meters. Kessler was on left to fight for second, which was a battle.
Calling it now. Hocker gold in Paris. The 8:05 strength plus his kick will get it done
As opposed to Jakob’s 7:54 strength? Lol!!
+1
I think people should temper their expectations a bit!
Jakobs kick: "the slow twitch, slow foot speed narcissist" (citation from a recent hater post on another thread) ran 1:50.65 for the last 800m, 52.45 for the last 400m and 26.20 for the last 200m in the Budapest 5000m final WHEN SICK. Significantly faster than Hocker´s 1:52.04, 54.00 and 26.76 in this rather slow 1500m.
Remember what a 20 year old Hocker could do in 2021. He is finally back in that form with 2 years improvement. Obviously he wouldn’t beat Jakob (or Kerr or Fischer) in a 2 mile time trial. I think the last two championships show that the winner in a time trial isn’t necessarily the winner in a championship and he can shift gears like nobody else
That's simply not true. It's a good win for him, but how is it any different to what he has done before? He's always been able to drop the hammer in a slow race, and 3:37 is an event where DLs and global champs are usually won in 3:28/3:29. He hasn't yet shown anything he didn't in 2021. Let's see how he closes in the DL before hanging a medal around his neck
This race was very similar to his past wins against national level runners, although Kessler had looked very good up until this race . The difference is the 8:05 2 mile, which is quite a bit better than what he could have done previously for that distance. He has a much better chance now of being near the front when the kicking starts, when in 2021 he didn’t quite have the strength to be there
That's simply not true. It's a good win for him, but how is it any different to what he has done before? He's always been able to drop the hammer in a slow race, and 3:37 is an event where DLs and global champs are usually won in 3:28/3:29. He hasn't yet shown anything he didn't in 2021. Let's see how he closes in the DL before hanging a medal around his neck
This race was very similar to his past wins against national level runners, although Kessler had looked very good up until this race . The difference is the 8:05 2 mile, which is quite a bit better than what he could have done previously for that distance. He has a much better chance now of being near the front when the kicking starts, when in 2021 he didn’t quite have the strength to be there
I think what folks see is a very well rounded runner in Hocker..I did not think the rounding out would occur at two miles, but he had run 7:30's I believe before?. Of course I am the Kessler shill on here, so here goes. First of all, whats the conversion..lol, thought you would like that..actually at 5500 feet it says 3:33.x lol. I also think that having 12 in a non rabitted straight final for a 1500 is too many, this sounds like excuse making I am sure, but, 10 would be better. Kessler was not the only guy who struggled with traffic, and he did, and that's on him. Hocker ran a smart and very very good race, once he got to the front, I thought it was over as strong and shifty as he is.
I don't see this as that disapointing a result for Kessler. I think it is clearly Nuguse and Hocker, at the top and I do think Kessler has hung on, this year so far for third in the pecking order, made a team(first one) and has improved.
I think Hocker is more of a medal threat Indoors, even, than out with his build and shiftability.
That's simply not true. It's a good win for him, but how is it any different to what he has done before? He's always been able to drop the hammer in a slow race, and 3:37 is an event where DLs and global champs are usually won in 3:28/3:29. He hasn't yet shown anything he didn't in 2021. Let's see how he closes in the DL before hanging a medal around his neck
This race was very similar to his past wins against national level runners, although Kessler had looked very good up until this race . The difference is the 8:05 2 mile, which is quite a bit better than what he could have done previously for that distance. He has a much better chance now of being near the front when the kicking starts, when in 2021 he didn’t quite have the strength to be there
Yeah, I agree. I thought his 8:05 was far more impressive than the 1500 win and a good sign for him. But it was still 5 seconds down on Kerr and 9 seconds down on what we know Jakob can do. And Hocker only closed the last 400 in around 56 in that 2 mile. The questions Hocker still needs to answer is the same one he's had to answer since 2021: what can he muster when he's run 3:31 pace for three laps?
He's usually at the back and too late to the oarty.
Today he had a field that were tactically worse than him. Everyone was off the back in this 3:37 snooze.
The worlds won't be a bumper car fest
World indoors does not have a natural frontrunner as is, unless Reynold Cheruiyot goes for it. Tefera, Hocker, Beamish, Garcia Romo (if he runs), Nader, Fogg all kickers.