Who were the biggest winners of the 2023 track season? Noah Lyles, Niels Laros, Faith Kipyegon, Sha'Carri Richardson, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Lamecha Girma, and Yared Nuguse all make the list, but in what order?
In my book Jacob is #1 slightly ahead of Kipyegon based on the sheer volume of what he accomplished in 2023. For #7 - replace Girma’s SC WR with Mu. Her “story” of “is she or is she not running WC ?” Running Worlds and finishing a disappointing 3rd and then unexpectedly runs DL Final winning with sub-1:55 AR in a fashion that we have not seen her race before (running in the pack vs. front running the whole race) is much more interesting than Girma’s SC WR!
This post was edited 3 minutes after it was posted.
Rojo missed some big storylines that were hot topics of discussion here:
Athing Mu losing and then rediscovering her joy, plus the broader conversation about how to ensure top athletes like Mu and SML are more active on the circuit
Addy Wiley dropping some seriously fast times, and people’s strong opinions about that
The hot action in the 5,000: women getting closer to breaking the 14-minute barrier (four women at 14:07 or faster, including of course Tsegay) and six men at 12:42 or faster
No way is Laros number 2. Bigger than SCR and Lyles? Admit your biasness.
Well they don’t have to admit it but yes, Rojo is high on Laros partly because he is another great white middle distance hope, because he apparently listens to the podcast, he was on the podcast, the Brojos met his parents, and Laros is a legitimate stud. But you are correct that if not for all that, Laros is #7 if he is on the list at all.
1) The article is from an LRC perspective which values distance running over sprints/fields.
2) Yes, obvously objectively speaking based on stats Jakob would be higher than Yared and Yared would be ahead of Niels but that's not what I wanted to do with this list.
3) When I asked JG what he thought about it, he said he's switched Niels and Yared. I TOTALLY understand his thinking but kept it this way as a) it's more interesting and I'm biased for Niels and b) I sort of viewed the list as the way an VC visits investment opportunities. You are looking for 1-2 unicorns that will dwarf everything.
If it ends up in a decade that Niels is Jakob but with way better speed, putting Niels at #2 will look amazingly prescient.
In my book Jacob is #1 slightly ahead of Kipyegon based on the sheer volume of what he accomplished in 2023. For #7 - replace Girma’s SC WR with Mu. Her “story” of “is she or is she not running WC ?” Running Worlds and finishing a disappointing 3rd and then unexpectedly runs DL Final winning with sub-1:55 AR in a fashion that we have not seen her race before (running in the pack vs. front running the whole race) is much more interesting than Girma’s SC WR!
Everyone who upvoted this has brain worms. World records in off-distance events + a gold and a silver is decidedly less impressive than crushing three strong world records + double gold. It's not close. Kipyegon >>>>> Inge
In my book Jacob is #1 slightly ahead of Kipyegon based on the sheer volume of what he accomplished in 2023. For #7 - replace Girma’s SC WR with Mu. Her “story” of “is she or is she not running WC ?” Running Worlds and finishing a disappointing 3rd and then unexpectedly runs DL Final winning with sub-1:55 AR in a fashion that we have not seen her race before (running in the pack vs. front running the whole race) is much more interesting than Girma’s SC WR!
Disagree about Jakob, but agree about Mu. There was also the side story of her showing up in the 1500 and almost pulling off the win.
Biggest loser goes to Cooper Teare. Inexcusable that he was 100% healthy and gets out leaned by Drew Hunter. He seemed to have lost that kick that he used to have beating Cole Hocker in time trials. The steeple is calling him and I’m sure Jerry has talked to him about it.
If it ends up in a decade that Niels is Jakob but with way better speed, putting Niels at #2 will look amazingly prescient.
Yes but “Jakob but with way better speed” is a creature of fiction that has not existed yet to our knowledge. Who in the history of the sport would come closest to that? I don’t know who that is.
No way is Laros number 2. Bigger than SCR and Lyles? Admit your biasness.
Well they don’t have to admit it but yes, Rojo is high on Laros partly because he is another great white middle distance hope, because he apparently listens to the podcast, he was on the podcast, the Brojos met his parents, and Laros is a legitimate stud. But you are correct that if not for all that, Laros is #7 if he is on the list at all.
Laros probably posts here. Or at least frequently visits.
