Physics must work differently on your planet if you think that fall only cost Evan 2 seconds. He finished in 8:00.45. The winner Birech was 7:58.8 and Evan had a two second lead on him going into the final barrier. At worst, Evan was 7:57-low but likely 7:56 mid-high.
Evan’s lead was less than 2 seconds. Not sure why you would lie about this. Plus you are assuming a clearly tiring (he fell) Jager would finish as fast as Birech. No matter how you slice it, Jager was not running 7:56 without the fall.
Coulda Woulda Shoulda...It doesn't matter. Nobody will ever know...
Justin has not had a real nor good race in many years. Ignore what he says in interviews.
So Justyn ran 3:33 and 12:.51 TWO years ago, but to you that is “many years” ago. I suppose all you want for Christmas is your “many front teeth.”
It's not that it's two years ago. It's that he literally hasn't raced a single time since the Tokyo final. Zero races in 25 months. That's a massive black hole that is really tough for runners to bounce back from and return to their prior form.
And the crazy thing is that it isn't enough for him to just be as good as he was, he needs to get even better than his past best if he wants a shot at a medal.
Like you don't see anyone out here saying Justyn's old teammate, Gabriela Stafford, from junior is in with a shot at a medal in Paris. Yet she was closer to a medal than Knight was in Tokyo and and at the very least raced a few times last year, missing Olympic standard by about a second. It would be like if Knight at least ran a 3:34 or 3:35 last year before hurting himself again but he was too injured to do even that. If you said Stafford might medal in Paris I imagine you'd be laughed off this sight, yet all evidence points to Knight having an even harder mountain to climb.
The argument is basically just "but Justyn is talented." That's it.
I still can’t believe this happened. Of course the worry many surely had was that it might be hard to replicate, which was unfortunately borne out. That said, the Olympic silver the next year surely outweighs having had one official sub-8 run, and it is quite clear that it was worth 7:58 at a minimum. And, 8 flat is nothing to sneeze at as it is (and of course that is a massive understatement).
I've said it many times and I'll say it again; Justyn Knight will win world/olympic medals with Bowerman. Just wait and see.
After 2 years off, he needs to get back to where he was first, before being concerned about getting medals. Much like his countryman McBride, who has also been MIA for much of that time. As talented as Justyn is, that may be a lot to ask in a year to get medals, when he has undoubtedly lost something. Whereas others (Jakob, Fisher) have moved onwards and no reason that they (if they stay healthy) can't get even better. The 5000m (as seen with the multiple sub-12.50's this year) is a very competitive event right now. 2028 is 5 years from now - possible certainly for a 32 year old (as Mo Ahmed is now) but no guaranty with younger and faster ( for 1500m) athletes on the horizon.
One thing Knight has never done (or so I hear) is altitude training. So if he is a good adaptor to that he might be able to make a big jump.
After 2 years off, he needs to get back to where he was first, before being concerned about getting medals. Much like his countryman McBride, who has also been MIA for much of that time. As talented as Justyn is, that may be a lot to ask in a year to get medals, when he has undoubtedly lost something. Whereas others (Jakob, Fisher) have moved onwards and no reason that they (if they stay healthy) can't get even better. The 5000m (as seen with the multiple sub-12.50's this year) is a very competitive event right now. 2028 is 5 years from now - possible certainly for a 32 year old (as Mo Ahmed is now) but no guaranty with younger and faster ( for 1500m) athletes on the horizon.
One thing Knight has never done (or so I hear) is altitude training. So if he is a good adaptor to that he might be able to make a big jump.
Worth being patient with him. He has some major adjustments to make this year, doing altitude for the first time and likely a big jump in mileage under Jerry. Breaking 13 would be a good sign. Expecting him to medal with the Ethiopians unlikely to run like idiots again, and Jakob/Cheptegei/Katir/Kiplimo/Fisher/Kenyans in the way seems like a pipe dream.
Does this not make sense to anyone else? Jager admits that it has gotten old living in Eugene and having to share Jerry. He is now training on his own in Portland and is in the process of renegotiating his contract with Nike. I would say that it sounds like he’s on his way out if weren’t for the fact that he says “I've never had thoughts of leaving. Jerry is an amazing coach and the team is so good it didn't make sense." Thoughts?
Jager pretty much has left already. Jerry is in Eugene and Jager is in Portland.
It's too bad all this moving around and uncertainty is happening 7-8 months outside the trials and Olympic Games. The last thing you want now is to be concerned about who your training partners are going to be and where your coach is.
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