Say it with me: Cole Hocker's kick is overrated.

Mo' Better Blues wrote:

LarsL9 wrote:

You dont really think Hocker had won if Tim had cared to best him in that race?

Anyway, the point is Hocker have little to show for on the world stage, this season is going to be interesting. I hear that he has a world class kick and is an incredible runner, so I'm expecting him to consistently be a podium contender.

You're also missing the point I fear.

The last-last-last claim after goalposts moved from one zip code to another was that "Tim, Kerr, Hoare, Simotwo letting him run when it didnt matter is a moot point".

Kerr didn't 'let' Hocker run. Kerr nearly messed his pants in that semi. You can cherry pick one and say, "if they cared...". This argument holds true both directions.

As with most logical arguments in this entire hapless thread, Hocker's at the beginning of a new season. His comments on the the Youtube channel confirmed that he's just getting back into the feeling of racing again. His last race was in the summer. Which world-class 'kicker' has returned to their first race in half a year and blazed to glory? Why should Hocker be held to a different candle?

LarsL9 wrote:

Mo' Better Blues wrote:

You're also missing the point I fear.

The last-last-last claim after goalposts moved from one zip code to another was that "Tim, Kerr, Hoare, Simotwo letting him run when it didnt matter is a moot point".

Kerr didn't 'let' Hocker run. Kerr nearly messed his pants in that semi. You can cherry pick one and say, "if they cared...". This argument holds true both directions.

As with most logical arguments in this entire hapless thread, Hocker's at the beginning of a new season. His comments on the the Youtube channel confirmed that he's just getting back into the feeling of racing again. His last race was in the summer. Which world-class 'kicker' has returned to their first race in half a year and blazed to glory? Why should Hocker be held to a different candle?

Nobody of world class needs that many excuses made for them. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. We will see this season if he really is as great as you guys say he is. Judging from his first meet he cant outkick Teare and is severly outkicked by Beamish. None of them are world class btw. It will be interesting to see the next one.

runthecountry wrote:

J. Ingebrigtsen's kick is survival of the ... wrote:

The 1500m man who raced with the most confidence I have seen, John Walker, 1976 Olympics 1500m final. Looking at the race, Walker obviously was confident he was going to win. He showed E. Coghlan a bit of respect 400m to 1050m, moving up to middle of the back. Walker with 450m to go moved up on Coghlan's shoulder. With 300m to go, R. Wohlhuter tried to pass Walker and Coghlan. Walker said, Game on! 1976 Olympics 1500m final is the only 1500m final with two medalists sprinting sub-38 final 300m, Walker & van Damme. [2016 Olympics was close. Matt C. sprinted 38.00. Mahkloufi sprinted sub-38 last 300m.] J. Ingebrigtsen doesn't have a sub-38 last 300m in him in a 800m to 10000m race.

2016 did have two medalists closing their last 300 in sub-38 - both Mahkloufi and Willis were in the 37.7-37.8 range.

As far as Hocker, it is silly to use his January kick to judge what may happen later this season. Beamish certainly had the best kick, but also was able to sneak through on the inside. Hocker was already swinging wide on the turn, and finished in the outside of lane 2 - hard to guess how much that added to his split, but I would estimate his final 100 meters of running was maybe 12.75. Beamish also had to do some maneuvering on the last lap, but his final 100 was mostly on the shortest line.

Too early to say if Hocker will be in the mix for a medal this summer, but this sort of opener does nothing to say he won't be.

OozmaKappa wrote:

First of all, I told you so. Second of all, I told you so. Cole Hocker is what I like to call the illusion of speed. He walks through weak fields in the G League of running (NCAA) with bad pacing and fast 100m splits in slow races, which makes his kick look more impressive then it actually is. All this talk about how hes the best finisher in middle distance running is ridiculous. If you throw him in a fast race with halfway decent runners, that kick of his is going to come up short.

Case in point, low and behold, Millrose demonstrated just that. Except it wasnt even a fast race and Beamish isnt even that great of a runner. Yet he outkicked the guy who has been crowned by delusional americans as the best kicker. Say it with me, Cole Hocker's kick is overrated.

And if his kick wasnt enough in a +7:40 3000m race, imagine how lackluster it would be in a sub 7:30 race.