(Please remember that the internet wasn't a big thing at this time.)
I meet a bunch of young runners at the river. Tiretubes. We went for a long float.
As we do, we discuss World Athletics. (I didn't see a newspaper that morning.)
Someone mentions "12:44". I'm like "WTF?" I almost fell off the tube. I could not effing believe that Geb sliced 11sec. It was beyond fantastic.
I remember the exact place on the river where I learned this.
Sometimes I go there and think about Geb and how much he shocked me that day.
It's like - where were you when Beatles did Ed Sullivan or something.
12-EFFING-44!!!
It was completely insane.
Yep. Taking the WR from barely sub 13 to that was a seismic shift , not to mention him and Komen going under 12:40 after. Of course, who knows what would have happened if Bekele had come around a bit earlier?
12:29 is coming though, and it'll be an even bigger moment in the sport when it happens.
What is fun is to wind you up. You argue, you get angry, you lose your temper, and you post more than all his fanboys together. It's too easy to have you write post after post obsessively like you are doing now. You never disappoint. 😄 Don't forget to reply!
I understand that you don´t think there is much room for improvement but I know that you have underestimated Jakob for years so why should your pessimism turn out right now?
Well I don’t feel any regret or embarrassment for not expecting, 5 years ago, that he would run 7:17. I remember after Jakob lost to Wightman in Eugene, I predicted he would win the 5k when a lot of people were claiming that the Ethiopians and Ugandans would spank him; he’s been my (incorrect) pick to win 1500 golds in each of the last 3 years; I predicted he would break the WRs in the 2k, 3k and 2-mile in all of those attempts. I think I’ve given him credit.
I don’t think he’ll ever run a 7:15 3k. Go ahead and put me in the “Jakob has almost peaked” club if you want, that’s fine. Often throughout athletics history, when guys have incredible record-breaking years like Jakob has enjoyed the past two seasons, they are near their career peak. There’s also just the unlikelihood of Jakob becoming even more of a statistical outlier than he already is.
I think he can break the mile WR and 5k WR but there’s a decent chance that years from now, when all is said and done, people will be arguing about what his best performance was: ~3:42, 7:17.55 or ~12:33. I don’t feel like this is me being a hater: he could be the hands-down greatest 1500-10k range runner of all time if he maintains approximately his 2023-2024 level for several more years.
You don´t need to feel any regret or embarrassment but you have to admit that you have underestimated Jakob every time he was going to run an important race:
DL Monaco 1500m 2020: Your prediction 3:31.20 actual time 3:28.68
2 miles: Your prediction 7:58.xx about 4 sec difference
2000m: I think I remember a prediction of 4:45? so no WR? And more than 2 sec off?
3000m: Your prediction 7:19 flat. 1.5 sec off. (I was around 1 sec off myself)
Indoor mile: Wasn´t your prediction 3:46.xx? So more than 1 sec off.
I don´t think I have ever called you a hater but facts are that you without exception have been too pessimistic in relation to Jakob´s potential AND I think you will have to realize that again in the not too far future both regarding the 3000m, the 5000m (I won´t be supprised if he goes sub 12:30) and the 1500m (I have a while ago predicted sub 3:25). BARRING INJURY AND ILLNESS.
(Please remember that the internet wasn't a big thing at this time.)
I meet a bunch of young runners at the river. Tiretubes. We went for a long float.
As we do, we discuss World Athletics. (I didn't see a newspaper that morning.)
Someone mentions "12:44". I'm like "WTF?" I almost fell off the tube. I could not effing believe that Geb sliced 11sec. It was beyond fantastic.
I remember the exact place on the river where I learned this.
Sometimes I go there and think about Geb and how much he shocked me that day.
It's like - where were you when Beatles did Ed Sullivan or something.
12-EFFING-44!!!
It was completely insane.
Yep. Taking the WR from barely sub 13 to that was a seismic shift , not to mention him and Komen going under 12:40 after. Of course, who knows what would have happened if Bekele had come around a bit earlier?
12:29 is coming though, and it'll be an even bigger moment in the sport when it happens.
If 12:29 is on the way, only Ingebrigtsen can do it. It’s going to take someone that can match his 3000m WR.
It isnt "on the way". 12:29 is in the realm of fantasy. But in recent decades the world record holder of the 5k has also been the 10k record holder. That is because it has required that level of endurance. That isn't Ingebrigtsen - who will never be the 10k record holder (or global champion) - as it wasn't Komen or El G.
Yep. Taking the WR from barely sub 13 to that was a seismic shift , not to mention him and Komen going under 12:40 after. Of course, who knows what would have happened if Bekele had come around a bit earlier?
12:29 is coming though, and it'll be an even bigger moment in the sport when it happens.
If 12:29 is on the way, only Ingebrigtsen can do it. It’s going to take someone that can match his 3000m WR.
I believe he'd have given the WR a bit of a shake,if he had ran in oslo,but i dont see him running 12.29. Do i believe he could easily break his PB? yes,totally. I dont see how he couldnt better 12.48. I also believe he would have won that race in oslo if he was fully fit.He's olympic champion,and you dont get to do that if youre slow.But 12.29 is way too much of a stretch,even for him.
If 12:29 is on the way, only Ingebrigtsen can do it. It’s going to take someone that can match his 3000m WR.
I believe he'd have given the WR a bit of a shake,if he had ran in oslo,but i dont see him running 12.29. Do i believe he could easily break his PB? yes,totally. I dont see how he couldnt better 12.48. I also believe he would have won that race in oslo if he was fully fit.He's olympic champion,and you dont get to do that if youre slow.But 12.29 is way too much of a stretch,even for him.
Something I don't get is, when JI clocked 3:26:7x, a reporter asked him if the record was close. He -rightfully- stated "not today, 3/4 of a seconds is actually A LOT at this level".
But when Kiplimo, Aregawi... started clocking 12:41/12:40, so 5"+ off, mostly everyone here started saying "these guys are obviously in WR shape".
Something I don't get is, when JI clocked 3:26:7x, a reporter asked him if the record was close. He -rightfully- stated "not today, 3/4 of a seconds is actually A LOT at this level".
But when Kiplimo, Aregawi... started clocking 12:41/12:40, so 5"+ off, mostly everyone here started saying "these guys are obviously in WR shape".
I have written a couple of posts on this thread over a similar tema:
Jakob is supposed to only have limited room for improvement but when (possible mainly American) posters judge their compatriots, fore example Fisher, Hocker; Nuguse, Kessler only the sky seems to be the limit.
And the funny thing is that a certain segment of (American?) posters also 5 years ago claimed that Jakob was close to his peak.
Something I don't get is, when JI clocked 3:26:7x, a reporter asked him if the record was close. He -rightfully- stated "not today, 3/4 of a seconds is actually A LOT at this level".
But when Kiplimo, Aregawi... started clocking 12:41/12:40, so 5"+ off, mostly everyone here started saying "these guys are obviously in WR shape".
I have written a couple of posts on this thread over a similar tema:
Jakob is supposed to only have limited room for improvement but when (possible mainly American) posters judge their compatriots, fore example Fisher, Hocker; Nuguse, Kessler only the sky seems to be the limit.
And the funny thing is that a certain segment of (American?) posters also 5 years ago claimed that Jakob was close to his peak.
The "sky is the limit" for American athletes. That's what juicing does for you.
Something I don't get is, when JI clocked 3:26:7x, a reporter asked him if the record was close. He -rightfully- stated "not today, 3/4 of a seconds is actually A LOT at this level".
But when Kiplimo, Aregawi... started clocking 12:41/12:40, so 5"+ off, mostly everyone here started saying "these guys are obviously in WR shape".
I have written a couple of posts on this thread over a similar tema:
Jakob is supposed to only have limited room for improvement but when (possible mainly American) posters judge their compatriots, fore example Fisher, Hocker; Nuguse, Kessler only the sky seems to be the limit.
And the funny thing is that a certain segment of (American?) posters also 5 years ago claimed that Jakob was close to his peak.
I was talking about why most of us understand 3/4 of a second over 1500 is "far" from the WR...
...but 5" and change for 5000 meant in this forum that athletes, in PLURAL, were obviously in WR shape.
But in recent decades the world record holder of the 5k has also been the 10k record holder.
He is wrong (as usual): Lehtinen, Hägg, Chataway, Pirie, Keino, Puttemans, Quax, Moorcroft, Aouita, Kiptanui, Komen
All the runners you mention were not in recent decades - they were mostly before the 90's. Your list goes back to the 40's. Komen's record was 25 years ago.
This post was edited 14 minutes after it was posted.