Jakob out of Silesia and Brussels

Who cares. He ain't the 1st one to be injured!

The sport will still move on with or without him!

Yup that only leaves the Zurich Diamond League before the WC. Definitely not ideal.

HE'S COOKED

A non-DL race could always be arranged for him on the fly too, but yeah there isn't much time left. Plus I'm sure he'll want to be in Tokyo for several days prior to the start in order to adjust.

Jakob will not be competing in Zurich.

There are a wide range of training programs that can cause injuries. Stress is stress.

Any fan of the sport besides you, cares. How could you not want all of the best runners at the starting line at the WC 1500m?

I don't understand the optimism that so many of you have had throughout this season. I have seen no reason to think that things were going well for him at any point since he announced his injury, with the exception of one or two cheerful Instagram posts. That won't get him a medal. I put his podium chances in either event at no more than 20%.

Really frustrating. I'm worried and hopeful at the same time. I want all the top guys to be injury free and at their peak when there's a big championships. It's never fun seeing Jakob not winning at a championships (I'm Norwegian, so yes I am biased), but it's infinitely better/more acceptable if that is due to bad tactics or a subpar finish from his side. His gold medal chances getting spoiled due to an injury, really, really sucks. Well, it ain't over 'til it's over. I'll cross all my fingers. He did win in Tokyo 2021 after having a groin injury earler that season (Nowhere near as serious, but still. (He was forced to skip Bislett games that year). And the 2024 season went much better that I was fearing, considering he didn't race for 8 months due to an injury)

If the 1500m in Tokyo is without Jakob, Nuguse and Kessler, then that is really anticlimatic.

Do we know what type of achilles injury he has? Almost sounds like he could have Haglund's and has been trying to nurse it through World's before having a procedure.

I have to say that this 1500m/mile season has been the least exciting one (the Bowerman mile was an exception, that was a GREAT race) in recent years (in my opinon at least.) The main reasons being:

1. Jakob's absence. Every race with Jakob as a part of the field is always an exciting one. His absence this season has been really noticeable.

2. Shady runners among the top guys. I consider both Koech and Habz to be really shady. And that spoils part of the fun. I might have to eat my words, but I know I'm not alone in feeling this way. Koech running 3:27 in his second ever 1500m, while allegedly only being 18, seems way too good to be true. And I could by Habz running 3:29 at 29/30 (like he did in Oslo 2023), but 3:27 at 31/32 seems way too good to be true. I don't consider many of the top guys in the 1500m (or other events sus), I usually give most athletes the benefit of the doubt, but certain athletes are hard to ignore. I did not like it when Katir entered the scene from seemingly nowhere, and started dominating several distances. I had my suspicions, and I turned out to be right. Him getting banned did not surprise me at all.

3. Many of the top guys have competed very little this season. If we look at 4 of the top 5 guys from Paris 2024 (the ones besides Jakob ofc) they haven't been that active in the DL circuit. Yes, most of them competed in GSL, which was fine, but that was 3 competitions from April to June. Since then, Kerr only competed in the London DL. Nuguse only competed in Eugene DL, same with Hocker and Kessler (I'm talking 1500m/mile races, and international competitions) Some of the guys seem to dodge each other, that's not fun. Idk why Kerr wasn't present in Eugene, and I don't know why any of the Americans weren't present in London, but I find it a bit lame. Also, none of the guys mentioned were present in Rome, Oslo, Stockholm (Hocker actually competed there, albeit in the 5000m, I'll give him some points for that), Paris or Ostrava. It is a bit underwhelming. I hope we get to see most of these guys present in Silesia, Zurich, Lausanne and Brussels. If we expand to the top 6 guys from Paris 2024, Laros is also one I would've liked to see more in the DL circuit, he's always fun to watch. I know he has had some injuries, so that's really unfortunate. He has mostly focused on 800m and 5000m, but he was at least present in Eugene (where he won with a fantastic performance)

I hope next season (as well as the remainder of this one) gets better.

How long do you have to be on the sideline before setbacks are no longer minor?

The reason the Americans have not been active on the DL circuit this year is that they have to peak to perfection for USAs in order to make the team (and they were busy with GST, which was a bust). Do you think it would have been wise for Hocker, Nuguse and Kessler to fly to London 2 weeks before USAs to run a 1500? Meanwhile, Strand and Koech are sitting back in the US training and waiting. Hocker barely made the team as is and Nuguse and Kessler were left out in the cold. It is a real disadvantage for Americans (and to a certain extend the Brits) to have to run nationals to qualify. They cannot rest on their laurels or they won’t go to Tokyo.

Contrast that to Jakob. He doesn’t have the bye to worlds in the 1500 (but he does in the 5K), but he does have the qualifying time from late last year, so we doesn’t have to race at all before Worlds. If he was American, he would have had to run the trials while injured to try and make the team. Or just settle for the 5K.

The American system, while exciting for the fans, is a disadvantage for the athletes because they have to peak twice (especially in events as competitive as the mens’ 800, 1500 and 5k)

would you suggest getting rid of the trials, or going to the brit system where they choose 2 from the trials, and give away 1 spot?

as hard as it is on the athletes, right now we are just too good to give spots away without earning them.

If Keely scratches from Lausanne then she's out of Tokyo as well. Jakob may race Tokyo even with little racing beforehand, but he's not going to be a factor in the final. I'm predicting no medals in Tokyo for Jakob. Tte competition is simply too deep in both of his events.

What part of he's hurt don't you morons understand?.

Depending on how severe this injury really is/was and how the comeback is going, the 5k at worlds could be a rare opportunity for the Americans and Ethiopians. Curious if the tactics will be more or less the same even if Jakob is missing from the race or if he isn’t at 90% or better

I don't know why you're getting downvoted because I sort of feel the same way.

On one hand you love the wishful thinking and unbridled optimism - as far as some people legitimately convinced he was coming out first race in Silesia and going for the WR. One the other hand every supposed return checkpoint has been pushed back, then back, then back again...

It wasn't long ago when he announced he couldn't do Pre, that the narrative was "oh he's just staying fresh for London and the big matchup vs Kerr". Then it was "he's just saving it for Silesia and the 1500 WR there or in Brussels" - which btw he was announced only 2 days ago by the meet he was going to be there.

Guys, this isn't some analytical and planned game of cat and mouse here. He's not now holding back all his cards to come out in Tokyo in WR shape to blow away the fields in the 1500 and 5000 - this is happening because this is not a good injury and he simply isn't getting fit the way he needs to.

I'd be stunned if ran both events in Tokyo - that's even if he is there (which given this info I'd now be legitimately worried he won't be). So he's not even healthy enough to run a one day meet but he's going to come back and try and run arguably the most physically taxing double possible at the World Champs? No chance. This is a really big deal.

You seem to be making the case that in being prepared for the 5000k, 3:32 shape is good enough. The reality is that for a 1500/5000m guy, is that if you’re in peak fitness for one, it will be the same for the other.