Ingerbrigsten on the rivals absence: If you ask everyone else, it's completely idiotic

Katir has objective reasons to run the 5000m: it's one of his predilection distances (he was finalist at Tokyo 5000m), moreover he is seeking to improve his form and get more chances to medal.

Now if Katir choose to run the 800m you can call that idiotic Mr Jacob.

Is his name beyond your capabilities?

Jakob will throw the race and finish in second again just to make people forget wightman.

But isn't JI also running the 5000m? So?

Don't know what Mario's story is but Kerr has been ill on and off. Loss of fitness. Why would he do ECs is he's not feeling 100%?

Garcia is running. Jakob can't do an interview without being arrogant.

He should be irritated, as he was ineligible for Commonwealth and skipped Monaco to concentrate on Euros and he's been deprived the chance of revenge against Wightman, who is in very good form but was only third at Commonwealth, and faces only a watered down field.

i believe this is lost in translation. I think jakob is saying they aren't running because they don't feel prepared to win gold. when he says "if you ask everybody else, it's completely idiotic", i think he is referring to what he thinks the fans have as their viewpoint.

HE goes on to say you have to respect the athletes and they have a different view of things than those who aren't competing.

He isn't disrespecting anybody, he is just giving his perception of how the fans see things vs the athletes.

the information on wightman has been out there for weeks. It was talked about at the WC, or perhaps even earlier.

not sure what happened to kerr. i remember him skipping indoor worlds because he wanted to be so prepared for the full slate this summer. clearly he doesn't feel good about where he's at, for one reason or another.

Op: English is not your first language, is it? Horrible post. Nonsensical.

European Championships runners can enter whatever event they want. I would say Jakob is avoiding the 10,000m as he’s never won Gold.

That's what I have understood (even with the bad google translation).

Yeah he’s hitting out at people who would go crazy over them not racing it. The only real head-scratching decision is Kerr not racing at all. Is he running Lausanne? Injury?

Stop acting as if Wightman were locked in since last winter. Entries weren't even due in all likelihood until after World's. The final entry deadline was August 8. He could easily have entered the 1500m alone or both 800m and 1500m, given that he was the new World Champion at the 1500m. It's his prerogative to avoid the comp or to collect an easier title, but I assume he'll face Jakob at the season-ending 1500m at Brussels or Zurich.

Why would he change his mind and run the 1500? Just to give Jakob a chance of revenge? He chose to race the 800 at a major championship, just like he did at the Commonwealth 4 years ago. That's why he beat Jakob at the WC - he's the only top 1500m runner to take the 800m seriously.

And why do you think the 800m is an 'easier title' for Wightman than the 1500?

You don’t understand following a plan do you? These guys are world class athletes. Their schedules are formulated months in advance. Everything else is preparation. Why would he change his schedule just because he won Worlds?

Wightman has raced 1500m rounds at British champs, Worlds, and Commonwealth games in a little more than a month. I’m surprised he has any gas left for another championship meet. Also, you can find the article somewhere that mentions Kerr had either the flu or COVID right after worlds.

Haven't seen anything like that on Kerr, but obviously if he's sick or got COVID recently that would help explain his absence.

I think Wightman's schedule has been really well-planned. There're only 1 prelim rounds at Comm/UK Trials and they were 3:48/9 races...I think Jake can manage those fine. He wouldn't have run the 1,000 in Monaco if he was running out of gas. Running the 800 is a smart move to keep himself relatively fresh, though the European 800m field is actually strong in depth.

It’s a weird sport that we follow.

First off, the World Championships and Olympics are often held in the middle of the season, as they were this year. Championships are usually at the very end of the season in any sport.

Secondly, there is no set schedule for athletes to run. They can choose any race or event throughout the season.
I’d like to see ranked runners be given a minimum of three races scheduled for them that they must run or be disqualified from worlds. Force head to head scheduled events.

In fact, the entire season should be series of must run races to qualify for worlds being held at the end of the season.

If you are European and want to run the WC 1500, you must race the EC 1500.
Same with other area games.

Also, anyone holding a top 3 performance in their event should get a bye straight to the final at the World Championships to incentivize chasing fast times and not just placing well in sit and kick races.

I understand why athletes choose the races they do, but it isn’t fan friendly.

Yes, I understand plan-following. I don't know that it was in fact his plan. How are you privy to what he set up in the winter? But I also understand that athletes constantly adjust their plans as situations warrant. The 800m is very much down in Europe at the moment with Max Burgin out, a couple decent French runners and a Dutch 1:44 guy, the Polish runners old or retired, and no top Spanish runners. Most athletes who win World's unexpectedly change their schedules to take advantage of the victory. You may settle one goal and pursue another, as Wightman is doing. You may also miss a goal that is important to you and therefore scrap other plans to get it. That's what Kipyegon is doing. She barely missed out on the 1500m WR, so she's going to take another attempt at it. One reason for Wightman to go against Ingebrigtsen again is that he might secure the #1 1500m yearly ranking by doing it.