Bad Wigins wrote:
Hocker is pretty good but will never be the best, which makes him the next Galen Rupp.
He'll mix it up a bit with the Norwegians and new North Africans, as Rupp did with the East Africans, but he won't ever beat them. He won't lose by very much. Respectable and he will always be honored at Hayward Field.
Rupp never the East Africans? Rupp won a World Marathon Major and two Olympic Games medals. Lets review.
At the 2017 Chicago Marathon, Rupp beat Abel Kirui, a 2x World Marathon Champion and 2016 Chicago Marathon winner and Bernard Kipyego, the 2014 & 2015 Marathon Winner.
In 2012, in the Olympic 10,000 M Final, Rupp outkicked Keninisa Bekele (and Tariku Bekele in 4th and 3rd respectively). Four people have outkicked Bekele in Olympic track finals - Farah, El G, his brother, and Rupp.
In 2016, Rupp beat Chirmay Chebreslassie, the 2015 World Marathon Champ and Stephen Kiprotich, the 2012 Olympic Marathon Champ and 2013 World Marathon Champ.
Back to original topic: Hocker needs to do more than win a national title to rightfully be seen as the second coming of El G. Especially, since there's already an Olympic record Champ, 3:47 20 year old miler out there.