Is Jake Whightman going to be "the next guy" again?

Still don’t agree. -I think Jakob lost to Jake because the latter was the better runner that day (he even Pb’ed), and not because of some flawed front running. And in the two other losses Jakob was clearly sick.

Don´t rejoice too early.

How will you feel if Jakob is one level up from last year? (As he has been the last 15 years)

Like I already said, I highly doubt it, coming off an achilles injury. But we will see pretty soon at Pre, won't we?

And how does it go for Jakob when he doesn't have pacers?

Jakob has been proving the reality mid-D runners face - at the top level, tactics weigh a lot more on someone's chances of winning at World's and the Olympics. Even if Jakob could solo a WR in the 1500, he's facing rounds in the summer heat before he has to try to fend off fast competition by going wire to wire at or near WR pace. The 1500 is too short for Jakob to take the kick out of a handful of the best runners. He is the fittest but not the one can accelerate and kick the fastest in the 1500. Short of Josh and others tiring each out fighting for who will sit on Jakob's shoulder in the final, Jakob's destiny is silver and lower. I think I will be proven right that his Tokyo 1500 final win was a fluke due to Tim agreeing to pace him.

Why are you succumbing to fear? The clowns are the ones who are doubting Jakob. They will look like fools this summer.

Doubting a prodigy is the definition of idiocy.

We've seen it with Sydney. We'll soon see it with Mu and Jakob. They don't have to run frequently or do everything perfectly. Minor setbacks are flicked aside with a snicker and snide remark.

One guy wins 90% of his races. He leads all the way. Yeah he got nipped at the line twice, once when he ran a poor tactical race and once when he was sick.

So where are you placing your stock? This forum is mesmerized by closers. It shows up every year in every event. It is the American brainwashing dating to Mills and Wottle. They can't fathom a speed horse holding on.

I'm going with the prodigy and the lead. Twenty four years as Las Vegas sports bettor was great education toward the big picture.

BTW, the speed held in the Derby and Preakness

I think Jakob will be running 3:25 or 3:26 this year. Every year he improves and he's still just 23.

Normally he could, but this year is different. You tell me, what's different about this year for JI?

Lolz sorry but that is a very uneducated guess.. 325??? Do you think fitness improvement curves are linear?

1:44.10 800m is good speed for the 1500m but it is not elite speed. There have been many 1500m guys who have run 1:42-43, while most years there are a number of 1:44 guys, who have included Centro, Mazano, and Engels, none of them noted as particularly fast 800m runners even relative to the 1500m.

Some of the all-time 800m guys who also ran 1500m in 3:32 or better

Coe, 1:41.73, Kaki, 1:42.23, Makhloufi, 1:42.61, Kamel (3:31), 1:42.79, Cram 1:42.88, Elliott, 1:42.97, Souleiman, 1:42.97, Timothy Cheruiyot 1:43.11, Baala, 1:43.15, Asbel Kiprop, 1:43.15, William Tanui (3:30), 1:43.30, William Chirchir (3:29.29), 1:43.33; Abdi Bile (3:30.55), 1:43.60.

Manzano 1:44.56 (3:30)

The runner that beats him clearly isn't "second best" or "next in line". When he loses, Jakob is.

Correct.. when Jakob loses he's the fastest next guy.

yes

I think I (and Jakob too) agree that Kerr was the best runner that day. But I also think there are some good arguments for claiming Jakob as the best runner that season… (As WA’s ranking did).

My suspicion is that Jakob got his achilles injury by trying to work on his speed, by doing jumps or sprints. So it very well may be, that he understands the impeding risk of getting beat by a 800/1500m "next guy".

Another fasctinating thing is that Kerr and Wightman are taking very different approaches this year. Kerr is coming from an over-distance and Wightman from an under-distance. I guess we will see who did better...

It's May, buddy. 1:44.1 is elite speed in May even for 800m runners. Jake is currently in the top 10 amongst the 800m runners this year. I wouldn't be surprised, if he coud get down to 1:43.5 this year. In 2022 this kind of speed was enough for him to become a world champion in the 1500m. I suspect he is trying to replicate that year again.

If you listened to what Jake said after his fast 800m race:

"My 5000m fitness has never been better".

Jake has in his late twenties improved from 800m and up because he started to focus more on aerobic development some years ago.

And Kerr is going the same way, so far having improved his HM and 3000m/ 2 miles PBs dramatically and he can according to the British patriots here also improve significantly in the 800m and 1500m this season (I agree) due to his improved ENDURANCE.

We certainly will. I have saved this thread.

I think you are wrong here. -Jakob has (always) struggled with injuries throughout his youth; may have something to do with too much treadmill and asphalt… (But of course you may be partially right -who knows..).

I don’t think 800/1500m guys are Jakob’s problem. (They have only an advantage on the home straight if the race is slow, which it of course won’t be). -Jakob didn’t lose against Jake or Josh because of their speed, but because they simply had more left in the tank than him the actual day.

Jakob may lose to Wightman and Kerr. But only because they have gradually become overall better runners. And therefore he also might be number 2 after Nuguse (despite the latter not being a 800/1500m man). -Who’s the best overall runner will most likely decide the medals…