Ethiopia re-announces World Championships Team (multiple doubles permitted)

RIP Grant Fishers medal chances

This is a black page alert if I've ever seen it.

ETHIOPIA WILL WIPE THE FLOOR WITH EVERYONE AT WORLDS

First thing I thought after seeing the news. The 10,000 where he had his best shot just replaced a non-factor in Mengesha with Aregawi. That team with Worku and Barega is nasty. 5,000 I don’t think honestly a gigantic impact as Telahun Bekele is not some slouch to be subbed out.

Also rough news for Sinclaire Johnson/St. Pierre/McGee/Hull et al with Tsegay now moving to the 1500. With Kipyegon, Muirand Tsegay up top they might be fighting for 4th

I'm thrilled the Ethiopians have followed my advice and allowed the double. ;) We talked about this at length on the podcast which we just recorded (coming out soon) but I didn't realize Tsegay was in the 1500. That's bad news for Sinclaire but good for the sport.

I want the best of the best in the events.

This was a great and slightly unexpected (considering their history) decision by their governing body. Now we’ll have some real barn burners!

Muir needs to be moved down to the second group based on this season's form. I'm a fan, so it pains me to say it, but a medal for her would be a little bit of a surprise, especially with Tsegay now in the race. Johnson still has to think she's in with a chance, but they are all racing for bronze.

LOL Fisher Has a faster time than all of them, Fisher should just go hard and run Personal Record Pace and dare them to stay with him, make sure if they want to beat him they have to run a big Personal Best. Fisher as run 26:33 The top Two Ethiopians best's are 26:44-26:46

Im a big fan of Fisher, but you are absolutely crazy if you think the Ethiopians couldn't run faster in a well paced TT like Grant got at Sound Running. They all ran 26:44-26:46 in a championship race. Barega and Aregawi could run in the 26:20's if not faster.

Wow that's as sick lineup.

The federation finally gets this one right.

5000 is stacked (although i believe it comes second for all doublers)

🇺🇬cheptegei 12:35

🇪🇹barega 12:43

🇰🇪kimeli 12:46

🇪🇹kejelcha 12:46

🇰🇪krop 12:46

🇨🇦ahmed 12:47

🇳🇴ingebrigtsen 12:48

🇺🇬kiplimo 12:48

🇪🇹aregawi 12:50

🇺🇸fisher 12:53 indoors

🇪🇹edris 12:54 (2x defending wc)

this even leaves off some super fast people, although these 11 (lol) have the best medal chances in my mind

Nice, I just listed the same eleven men over on the Grant Fisher medal odds thread before seeing this. It is the middle/long distance race of the championships.

I thought Jakob would win that race since Cheptegei isn’t in his best shape and Jakob has the best kick in a ~12:50 or slower race with his superior 1500m speed (just like we saw in Florence last year) but now with barega that changes everything. I wonder what kind of strategies they will all opt for.

yeah i thought the 1500 would reign for some time, but definitely more excited about this now

yes it will be interesting to compare to el g 2003/2004 and the different strategies there

Wow that 5k is absolutely ridiculous. It's going to be a total bloodbath at the front.

So the best they could find to represent them at 800m is a U18 runner?

I guess the US also had a U18 represent them at 200m last year.

If we had a 14 year old who ran 1:44 he’d be repping us. That guy Girma is a prodigy.

Sinclaire Johnson’s medal chance just went out the window. I am saying this for two reasons

1) Even on the surface, Faith Kiypegon, Guadaf Tsegay, and Laura Muir are clearly better than Johnson, it would take something catastrophic to happen for her to medal (in any kind of race).

2) Tsegay’s addition will completely changes how the race is going to be run. After this addition , i guarantee you the final is going to be super fast (probably sub 3:55); Tsegay doesn’t have a closing speed, and she doesn’t want it to come to a kicker race. This means, In all likelihood Johnson have to run sub 3:55 in order to medal, which i don’t see it happening.