How to neutralize Jakob in the 5000 ?

weirdo comment

It’s simple. You get three countries to agree before the race to share the pacing duties two laps at a time with a 12:40 goal.

12:45 is extremely slow through the 3k

Super weird, and disturbing.

Didn’t Nur just close in 2:21? Tbh, Jakob would’ve had a hard time going around him if Nur made his move first. So if someone can run a fast last 1k-1200m while Jakob is in the pack, I think that could work too.

nur ran 2:21 off of a 13:40 pace though, iirc. no way he is closing in 2:21 off a 12:50 pace, which might be pr pace for him lol.

The only man who knows how to defeat the Jakob in the 5000 is Henrik Ingebrigtsen, and he's saving his cards for the crucial moment.

HINGY HINGY HINGY!!! #Believe

Agreed. I was thinking about this earlier as well and settled around that 12:50 mark as well as the threshold to beat him. The problem becomes his kick, as the guys who have run in the low 12:40's this year generally aren't known for their kicks. If it turns out he's in similar 5k fitness as them, which after the 7:54 he could be, there's nobody who really seems to be able to match his finish. My mind went to Katir first but he's also doubling so very unlikely. At this point I agree with trying to prevent him from taking the lead, just press the last mile and do everything they can to bury him and hope they can hang on.

There are no tipped balls in running, no sudden gusts of wind or streaky patches of court. If the best runner in the field isn’t off his game, and makes no errors of his own, he will win. JI is likely the best runner in the field. If he makes no errors and has a decent day, there may simply not be a strategy you can use to negate that fact.

Weird comment. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt his response was trying to be funny based on the word “neutralize” makes is sound like a target that needs to be taken out in a war or something.

He’s over 7, so to neutralize him, I’d encourage him to drop acid.

The only way to neutralise Jakob is to steal his track spikes on race day and then all his spare spikes. But even if he ran barefoot he would probably still win, while still stopping for cups of water.

If Jakob has a 30% chance to win, and every other guy 5-10%, he’s clearly the favorite, but the odds of him winning are lower than the odds of him losing.

It often seems impossible for the favorite to lose, until it happens.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m rooting for Jakob, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he lost.

I agree in everything you are saying here. But that is the main reason this race will be fun to watch!

+1 and tbh I think Aregawi is most likely to do it, with how he's stretched out the 5's and 10's he's done this year dropping in 60's and 59's at strange points but holding it

You don't Need to neutralize Jakob, he can't simply hold the pace of the 5k guys this year. Ethiopians, which have a very strong sense of group and union and are very team oriented will sacrifice one between Aregawi, Kejelcha and Gebrhiwet in order to keep a crazy pace and win the race. Ethiopians are the favourites, the outsider is Cheptegei.

Jakob "can't simply hold the the pace of the 5k guys this year". Why can't he? Do you have the slightest indication that he can't? If you answer provide some empirical evidence.

Yes, the Ethiopians were very team oriented when they raced Farah...