Josh Kerr runs 1:46.3 800m (55.8 then 50.5!)

Kerr has said multiple times that he thinks he can beat Tim and Jakob, he certainly thinks he can do it. Man is going for the W make no mistake.

I'm not going to count centro out because he is one of the best tacticians in the world regardless of event so unless tim blasts it from the front again, centro will likely put himself in position to maximise his performance. Whether or not that is good enough remains to be seen.

Number 33 wrote:

He ran the last 300m in 37 seconds. He also likes to push it from further out but was blocked in in a ridiculously large field until the bell.

You don't know what a clean elite runner kicking looks like.

They say doping killed training theory, it also killed intelligent comments from the likes of you.

He ran the last 300 in 38 seconds, in a race that was almost 5 seconds slower than the US final.

Let it Rupp wrote:

Field isn't really that deep.

It is exceptionally deep this year.

usnspecialist wrote:

I'm not going to count centro out because he is one of the best tacticians in the world

Who told you this lie? Watch his 2019 Doha WC race - ran like a man with no plan. Now again, overestimated himself and ran the first lap in 54 and paid the price at the end with a 57.7 last 400m.

Not to mention, he got beat in the trials by Hocker.

This myth / legend about Centro being a master tactician needs to go away. He ran in the front in a super slow final in Rio and closed super fast - nothing intricate here in the tactics department.

The last 300 leader to leader was 37.8 and Kerr was in 4th or so with 300 to go - so he was probably 37.2 for last 300 - only really going from 250 out. Not opining on his shot for gold (and part of me worries he might repeat Laura Muir from 16 when goes for gold and ends up with no medal) …. But wanted to point out you were wrong!!!

Passant wrote:

He will be likely at 5th or 6th position at best, looking at his kick in this British final. I even put some doubts about him outkicking Jacob if this last runner is in his full form.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUDITA2lJvQ

Wow! I see the above result very different. When Josh didn't make an early break for home, I though Jake would murder him, and the fact that he didn't proved to me that Josh is definitely going to be in the hunt for a medal.

Really puts in perspective El G's final 800 of 1:46.70 in the Athens 1500. And Lagat was right there.

As I recall, the 1500 final in Rio went off late, and as the athletes were milling about at the start, Centro realized everyone was trying to stay loose and that the race would likely go out slow as a result. So he made the decision to get in front to stay out of trouble. I don’t know about you but that seems pretty tactically smart to me.

I thought his trials race this year was an absolute master class in staying out of trouble and being in the right spot at the right time.

He wasn’t in charge of the pace yesterday—he didn’t know what the pacers were trying to hit. It was less of a record attempt and more of a go out hard and hang on effort in preparation for Tokyo. Running 3:49 with a solo last 600 after the hot early pace (the 35th fastest time in history!) seems like a pretty good result to me. But not to the basement-dwelling knuckle-draggers on letsrun, who think 3:49 is evidence that he’s doomed. Someone even suggested he was slapping hands with the fans in order to get Covid so he could have an excuse not to go to Japan. I’ve never read so many idiotic messages on these boards! Okay, the Covid ones are even more idiotic.

Some of you need to get over the fact that Centro is an Olympic champ. You’re time trial fanboys or something. Brings to mind Paul McMullen who liked to remind everyone that championship races aren’t time trials—they’re races. Line ‘em up (after two rounds, don’t forget) and fire the gun—no rabbits. So simple, and yet so difficult. That’s why Cacho and Centro are gold medalists and why numerous world record holders aren’t: Cram, Ovett, Ryun, etc.

It’s going to be a fascinating race. No less fascinating than figuring out what inspires all the Centro hate. America finally got a miler who delivered on the world stage and runs a 3:49 tune up in defense of his title. And you’d think the world was ending for him.

Finally, one note about Hocker. Amazing talent, but he’s coming off a long college season and doesn’t have any international experience. Just making the Olympic final would be a win of epic proportions. I think he gets eliminated in the semis. As I recall, Gave Jennings and Michael Stember dominated the trials back in 2000. But it was the third place finisher, Pyrah, the pro, who made the Olympic final. Centro based his entire year around the Olympic final. Hocker was chasing points for the past year in NCAAs. I think he’s on his downward swing now.

Let it Rupp wrote:

Number 33 wrote:

He ran the last 300m in 37 seconds. He also likes to push it from further out but was blocked in in a ridiculously large field until the bell.

You don't know what a clean elite runner kicking looks like.

They say doping killed training theory, it also killed intelligent comments from the likes of you.

He ran the last 300 in 38 seconds, in a race that was almost 5 seconds slower than the US final.

No, stop lying.

The leader went through 1200m at 3:02.86. Kerr was at least 1/2 a second behind in 3rd, so let's say 3:03.5

Kerr won in 3:40.7 so there is no way he ran the last 300m in 38 seconds. It was closer to 36 seconds than 38 seconds.

He went through the bell in around 2:50, so he ran the last lap in around 50 seconds. As I said, he would have gone a little earlier if he had not been blocked in. As soon as the gap appeared at the bell he kicked.

Wightman had easily outkicked Soweto and Kipsang just a week or two before this.

Sopa de SabadelI wrote:

Jimmy Alberione wrote:

He is no threat to Tim. All this shows is he did not trust himself to go faster in the first lap which means he would doubt himself to go with Tim's pace. He will be in contention for the minor medals like the other decent 5 or 6 guys.

This was a practice run for a fast last lap. Tim will win in any scenario, but a medal in this depth is an honour and Kerr definitely has a better shot at it than any American, or anyone else, as a matter of fact.

Well in order to practice for Tim you need a fast first lap too. Like Centro did in his “record attempt”

I agree with the OP. I think he could win gold.

medal threat? wrote:

Hocker and Centro don’t stand a chance against this man. Might even be able to compete with Ingebrigtsen and Cheruiyot

Go home David you’re drunk

fghjjkk wrote:

That’s why Cacho and Centro are gold medalists and why numerous world record holders aren’t: Cram, Ovett, Ryun, etc.

lol, cacho was a fraud, centrowitz ran a great race in 16 but will never be a legend, ovett absolutely is a an olympic gold medallist.

nice essay tho

1500m is gonna be fantastic.

Norway, Britain, 'Straya and Kenya all world class

4 countries with relatively small populations too - and beating the Chinas, USAs and Russias of the world. Fair play.

medal threat? wrote:

Hocker and Centro don’t stand a chance against this man. Might even be able to compete with Ingebrigtsen and Cheruiyot

I don't think this is that impressive of a result. Doesn't really change my thoughts on him. I think there are many others in the 1500 that could run an 800m with these splits.

Sopa de SabadelI wrote:

Let it Rupp wrote:

Field isn't really that deep.

It is exceptionally deep this year.

usnspecialist wrote:

I'm not going to count centro out because he is one of the best tacticians in the world

Who told you this lie? Watch his 2019 Doha WC race - ran like a man with no plan. Now again, overestimated himself and ran the first lap in 54 and paid the price at the end with a 57.7 last 400m.

Not to mention, he got beat in the trials by Hocker.

This myth / legend about Centro being a master tactician needs to go away. He ran in the front in a super slow final in Rio and closed super fast - nothing intricate here in the tactics department.

Needs to go away? Who else has his set of medals with his modest (by gold medal standards) PRs - he is very consistent at giving himself a chance in races where he is not the fastest in the field. If, like happened in Rio, you win a race where there are at least 5 people are faster than you going in - that makes you tactically brilliant, if it happens often then you are a master technician. Would I bet on him winning - heck no. Would I bet on him beating a lot of people in better shape than he is right heck yeah.

Sopa de SabadelI wrote:

Oh no. You think that to medal in Tokyo one needs to go out faster than 55?

Kerr was not practising to win against Tim and his hot pace, because he knows he can't do it (neither can Centro btw.).

Kerr was practising to score a medal against those who will follow Tim and will hit a wall in the last lap as a result (Centro, for example).

Centro isn’t trying to beat Tim; he’s trying to not make the mistake they all made in Doha letting him go and wasting energy on useless positional battles in a fast race. Centro hit a wall because his speed wasn’t there. He had strength but no kick.

Kerr can try the Lewandowski strategy but I think it will be risky and as we’ve seen he’s not great at navigating packs. Coevett is talking about how far back he was British Championships like that’s something to brag about. Really it’s poor racing. Letting also-fans outmaneuver you tactically is not a good thing.

This race just shows again Kerr can uncork a long fast finish off a jogging pace (relative to the distance). That’s going to be useless if Tim runs his race.

Just to be technical but I doubt Kerr was .6 behind at 300m. Maybe .4-.5.