Jakob dissects his race for Let's Run:
How are you feeling about about silver tonight after after you know you've been the best last year?
Um of course I'm very disappointed mostly because I know that I'm better than silver...
i'm a bit surprised. I'm mostly disappointed with what happened after i got to the front, because then I realised we'd gone through pretty fast the first 700, so i just tried to keep it an honest pace from at that point and the next lap, and i figured no one's probably gonna try to fight me at this pace because then they would have to have had a lot energy left at that
point. But that's what happened: I should have gone a little bit faster, because then I wouldn't have anyone attacking me on the outside. I used too much energy on that
I couldn't run past him at that point [last 100m], but uh I still ran fast so uh of course i know that my fitness is as good as it has ever been. So if it was a time trial today, i think i could have grown really really fast. But because of the decisions i made, then uh the attacks that caught me a little bit by surprise around 800, I spent too much energy fighting for my position at that point and of course he had a great race and did not spend the energy the way I did so uh good for him!
What was your strategy coming into the final?
I could have could have won with not having to you know spend that much energy in the middle of the race, but unfortunately when you fight like that, you're just using energy just not in the right moment and fighting for the first position so um but i think what really happened was that i think the Kenyans were a bit surprised with me getting to the front at that point, because they really tried to defend uh with 650 and both Cheruiyot and Kipsang were trying to elbow me out and trying to get to the position. But i figured I would also do that if i were them, so I think that caught them by surprise, and that's why he just almost got a blackout and just tried to get at me the whole way. So he definitely ruined his race because of that, but I think if I'd just gone a little bit faster from that point, he wouldn't have had that much energy to put into the attacks.
Did you consider just letting them continue to lead though because it was a pretty fast pace did you consider going to the lead later?
No, because it's just i should have won either way. I know what he would have done if he had got my position at 800 or a thousand or wherever he he tried to get it he would just slowed it down because he probably didn't have the fitness to go 328 what whatever you mean uh Cheruiyot yeah because he's the one who attacked. Yeah uh and Jake Wightman just felt fresh that 300 and of course he's gonna have the first position because at that pace at that
speed at that point nobody's passing anyone.
There was a lot of the British focus was on Josh Kerr. Did it surprise you that Jake Wightman was the guy who was leading coming into the home straight?
No you've raised him a lot over the years yes but i think what you see with Jake is when he's feeling good he's very consistent. I think he's a more mature runner on the British team of course with him performing this well uh this year it's happy to see you he's yeah he's a great guy a lot of respect for him but uh mostly disappointed with me not feeling like I did my best.
Do you think this race exposed any weaknesses for you or it was just a matter of you made the wrong decisions and when expending your energy?
No uh I think i could have done better in many different scenarios, because when I've already spent a little bit energy fighting Cheruiyot i figured he would stop. But he didn't. So at that
point it's just keep going, keep fighting, keep fighting, keep fighting and I don't know how many times he tried to get it but probably three times. So when I did the first time and the
second time I figured now we're definitely not gonna ruin his race a third time but he did yeah.
Do you think you need a fast race to win though like do you think if this was a 3:34 3:35 race you'd be equally confident of your ability to win?
No but i think it's just easier given your strengths as a runner -- but or not given my strengths, but given people's weaknesses. I think it's uh i won the Europeans in 3:38 and i'm obviously a better runner now but it's just why I make it harder than it has to be. But uh at the same time disappointed in everything that i did today
Did you say anything to Jake after the race?
Ah congratulations. He should be proud of what he did. He deserves it. He's putting in a lot of work and he's obviously run fast in the past, so good for him. But he also realises that
i didn't reach my potential today, so... but that's what it's all about -- it's all about, uh, you know,
trying to do your best, but sometimes some people don't; some people get a good race all based on their decisions during the race, but of course with me blaming everything on myself.
i'm not proud of what I've done today, and should have done better.