To be fair, there’s some merit to talking the crap and being able to back it up.
Arrogance flies a little better when you aren’t yelling expletives and claiming to be the best on live TV after running DFL.
That being said there seems to be a solid portion of agreement here that Jakob got a carried away with his post race interview. Seems a bit picky and choosy to act like Jakob is being unanimously worshipped rn right?
And what about shacarris fans?! I see hundreds commenting about how brave and strong she is for doing everything but putting her talent to good use along with playing the race card as an excuse for losing to a field of athletes that were the same race as her.
And while we are playing the racist letsrun card, go check out that thread hovering around unanimously praising chelimo.
Just not the best argument here.
1. Shacarri is pretty much universally attacked here. Surely you know this?
2. Where is this Chelimo thread? How many comments? When was the most recent?
1. She is, but I honestly think it’s for an okay reason. My opinion on Shacarri has been formed by seeing her actions. Yes there is the small corner of letsrun that’s just blatantly racist towards her, but I don’t think that discounts the genuine and valid criticism about her behavior.
2. Not quite sure, I’m not gonna go find it but it’s been floating around for a few days, I think it has 3-4 pages consisting of mostly respect for Chelimos work ethic, race bravery and overall great career he’s had. Thread name is something along the lines of “is Paul chelimo retiring?”
Maybe the most important context for Jakob is growing up early as a pro runner amongst his previously successful brothers, who have never been shy about their interfraternal competitiveness, with Gjert almost egging them on and also being contentious. Almost like a foursome of MMA fighters as much as typical runners. Most distance runners are turned off by overt competitiveness, but Jakob obviously thrives on it (as long as he is winning).
Jakob has never lost a European cross country championship since he was 16. I think it is mischaracterisation to say this is not his event. He might have seen the course profile and decided he had no chance against the africans like all the other European countries. There was a lot of competition dodging going on and I think his chances against Kiplimo would have been very small.
He often seems like a track version of Tiger Woods to me. Groomed to be precocious, insanely talented. Bad winner, bad loser, probably true, still doesn't seem to have the psychological baggage of Woods though. Guess time will tell.
I am not content with this Jacob untill he gets on his knees to ask forgiveness to each and one of is competitors that he beats. When he lose he should immediately start to cry when crossing the finish line, but at once wipe away the tears to not appear overly dramatic and a sore loser. He should then smile, raise the hand of his victor, give him an applause and a bow (head at least below sternum). His interviews should be limited to saying "I am not better.". At minimum.
I find it refreshing that someone simply says what they think in a post-race interview. Do you just want more platitudes and made up niceties and cliches that most athletes provide?
So those are the only two choices? Be an Ahole or boring? There are plenty of interesting interviews out there. If you cant be interesting maybe be mysterious and shut up. Dont be disrespectful as a way of just being interesting.
1. Shacarri is pretty much universally attacked here. Surely you know this?
2. Where is this Chelimo thread? How many comments? When was the most recent?
1. She is, but I honestly think it’s for an okay reason. My opinion on Shacarri has been formed by seeing her actions. Yes there is the small corner of letsrun that’s just blatantly racist towards her, but I don’t think that discounts the genuine and valid criticism about her behavior.
2. Not quite sure, I’m not gonna go find it but it’s been floating around for a few days, I think it has 3-4 pages consisting of mostly respect for Chelimos work ethic, race bravery and overall great career he’s had. Thread name is something along the lines of “is Paul chelimo retiring?”
You are negative to Shari as are most commenters on Letsrun so this does not seem to be a good example of how Letsrun praises black athletes and do is not racist.
'As further proof of the lack of racism in general on Letsrun you cite a comment praising Chelimo. One that I can't find and apparently neither can you
I think he was being arrogant and being truthful at the same time. However, when he lost to Wightman, he was a sore loser. Ingebritsen was the inferior runner that day. He was beaten by a tactically superior guy with a superior kick.
When he was beaten over and over by Cheruiyot, he was still a kid. But the first time Ingebritsen beat him I did not hear Cheruiyot say he was beaten by an inferior runner.
Ingebritsen is a once in a generation talent. He was a top guy at a very young age, and the expectations for a runner that fast, that young are that he will get WRs (outdoors). Maybe he will, and that will cement his legacy as one of the very greatest of all time. But people are getting to know how he runs and what may work against him (a bit like he learned what it meant to run and lose against Cheruiyot). And he is young, but not so much in terms of heavy training and being in the spotlight. If what happened against Weightman starts happening more often, and he does not get to hold a WR, then the great expectations will be very heavy to carry. And then his words may come back to bite him.
XC comes far down the list of Jakobs priorities. And when he would have to travel to the other side of the globe - and back - to compete, he decided not to go. Simple as that. But he has records in XC, in 1500, mile, 2000, 3000, 5000 - and says he will run half marathon if the scedule allows it. Compared to other stars he is competing a lot. So cut the childish complaining. What about Cheptegei? Only see him doing 1500 or the mile, noone complains about that? As a norwegian I will say that what you see as arroganse, I see as being extremly tough on himself. He feels better than the other athletes - then he has failed if he doesnt win. Has nothing to do with mocking the other athletes. But could he put in some nice word for his competitors sometimes? Yes, I think so. But thats not his focus.
As a norwegian I will say that what you see as arroganse, I see as being extremly tough on himself. He feels better than the other athletes - then he has failed if he doesnt win. Has nothing to do with mocking the other athletes. But could he put in some nice word for his competitors sometimes? Yes, I think so. But thats not his focus.
This. The problem with 90% of the posts is that poeple are trying to impose the response that they are familiar with. This isn’t a Jakob thing, it is a regional cultural thing which is very typical. It isn’t arrogance, it is honesty and self-belief. If a Scandivanian athlete believes that they are the best, proves themself to be the best, then they are disrespecting their countrymen by not speaking honestly. The top cross country skiers react in exactly the same way. Do the English or Americans have the same thought processes ? Usually not, but that doesn’t make either wrong.
1. She is, but I honestly think it’s for an okay reason. My opinion on Shacarri has been formed by seeing her actions. Yes there is the small corner of letsrun that’s just blatantly racist towards her, but I don’t think that discounts the genuine and valid criticism about her behavior.
2. Not quite sure, I’m not gonna go find it but it’s been floating around for a few days, I think it has 3-4 pages consisting of mostly respect for Chelimos work ethic, race bravery and overall great career he’s had. Thread name is something along the lines of “is Paul chelimo retiring?”
You are negative to Shari as are most commenters on Letsrun so this does not seem to be a good example of how Letsrun praises black athletes and do is not racist.
'As further proof of the lack of racism in general on Letsrun you cite a comment praising Chelimo. One that I can't find and apparently neither can you
I think it's a little unreasonable to expect a 1500/5000m specialist to leave Norway in the dead of winter to race the world's best distance runners over 10k in extreme heat and humidity in Australia. Picking up 2 more European championships is hardly ducking the competition. It's not his fault that he was able to lead all the way and win without being passed or seriously challenged.
he is a very experienced winner of cross country medals so this comparison to tennis makes no sense.
He does have experience w/ cross, but we are talking about going to a different environment (it was what, 98-100 degrees?), extreme downhills that favor more African runners than track runners.
Plus it's indoor track season. Why should a track runner go to world cross? Might as well ask him to play tennis tbh. Completely different sports.