High hopes wrote:
Kenya have struggled on the track for decades. Tanui and Kamworor took a few minor medals but they've always come up short, never looked like serious contenders for gold.
Ethiopian beat themselves. They sent a sub-standard team to the 5k. Barega, Edris, and Gebrehiwhot would destroy this race. Everyone else should thank their lucky stars that Ethiopian athletics is a mess
You should say at 5,000-10,000, but especially 5,000. They've done fine at 800-1500 obviously. For 5,000, they've been unable to find a guy who could kick with the world's best and stay consistent after Kipchoge (Ndiku briefly looked like it). 10,000-wise, Kamworor and Kandie have been their best prospects but they also prioritize the roads. I do think Kimeli and Simiyu (fell) are their brightest hopes in some time. 20-person heat certainly bad luck for Simiyu who looked uncomfortable in a super-physical heat, but asking him to overcome the fall AND outkick the season BTC guys/Balew was too much.
Agree with your assessment on the Ethiopians. Wale for whatever reason was made to run the double (yet Barega wasn't allowed to...?). I think they felt bad for forcing him in the Steeple, but he was not recovered to run well in the 5,000. He should've run fresh OR they could insert Gebrhiwet and/or allow Barega to double. Instead they've got one A team guy (who was dead tired) and two B-teamers with less experience than needed.
So, really you could argue of the top 15-20 5,000 guys in the world, you are missing as many as 8 in the final? Kejelcha (chose wrong event clearly), Barega, Gebrhiwet, Jakob, Wale (too tired), Krop (bombed Kenyan Trials), Edris (bombed Ethiopian Trials), Simiyu (fell).
Kenya and Ethiopia trying to replicate the top 3 system of the US is ironically a big boon to everyone else.