What are you going to say when Jakob destroys the field again?

The only constant is change. Tim was the best (dominating Jakob head to head). Then as he came off his career peak Jakob was the next one. Then Jake was the next one. Now Josh is 👑.

I'll ask if he ran blindfolded.

I’ll say, “Wake up from your dream, little Jakob fan boy, time to get ready for school.”

I’ll probably say JAKOB MF INGEBRITSON!!!

Spelled wrong because he’s not ‘Murican.

I am not going to say anything, because it never happened before and it will never happen again

When did he destroy a field? His three global golds were him kicking down people on the last lap. When he tries to control the race and drop people he loses. And I don't think Kerr is trying to blow Jakob out of the water, he is just trying to win. He cares about winning more than running the fastest time possible.

11-1??

Sure, but that was Tim Cheryiot vs Ingebrigsten once upon a time. Once Jakob beat TimC, he didn't lose to him again. ... Also, it should be noted that Cheryiot has never been as strong or fast as he was in 2019. Jakob beat a slower Cheryiot. That happens. This may or may not be the case of Jakob vs Kerr.

Injuries happen also. Ingebrigsten may or may not be able to be as fast as he was last year or before. There is no guarantee his 1500m trajectory keeps going up. Achilles injuries can be healed but in a sport where the differences in top racers are infinitesimal, the injury can be very detrimental. ...and Achilles tendon injury relapse is very common. It typically takes a year or more for it to properly heal if it does.

Meanwhile even though Neguse, Kessler, Hocker are near Jakob's age, they just arrived. Every indication is they are continuing to get stronger and faster. ...Not mention that Beamish guy!!!

But right now Kerr is top dog until Jakob or someone else proves otherwise.

As strange as it sounds, but Beamish will never win anything like that again. Every couple of years the top dogs get complacent and nobody pushes the tempo. Then the underdog outkicks everybody only to remind them what happens in a slow and tactical race. Nordas' feelings got really hurt in Glasgow and I'm sure he will make sure to have the pace honest for the next time, at least when Beamish is around.

Kerr is one of the best kickers in the world, but also can be beat in a 3:28 race, which is what Jakob will try to run in Paris. If anything, Nuguse is the one that could threaten Jakob at any pace, slow or fast.

Same goes for Hocker. Very impressive in a 3:35 race, not so much in a 3:28 race.

I don't think you deserve too much hate on this one.

If Jakob is just going to load up for a huge Olympic effort, exactly opposite to what he did last year, then the field (Kerr included) should be worried.

Too many people disrespecting Jakob in this thread. Have you all forgotten his times across the 1500 to 2 mile last season? He is tough as a rock and knows what it takes to run fast even when he loses at the world championships again. He’s not good at championships but he is probably going to turn out as the greatest time trialer ever which is of equal merit.

2022 5000 he went from 900 out and did in fact destroy the field.

Cheruiyot beat Jakob in the DL final that same season.

As far as the topic of the thread goes, it's a tough scene for Jakob. If he tries to run 3:27-3:28 from the front, Nuguse will likely beat him (it was close even with a rabbit). If the race is close to 3:35, there's a half dozen guys with better speed than him. If it's 3:29-3:30 again, Kerr will likely beat him. The only way for Jakob to win is if someone else takes it out in 1:52-1:53, he steps on the gas with 700 to go and runs something like 28-27-26-26 to burn the kick of Kerr with a 1:48 close. I am not even sure he is capable of that tbh, but if he is that will be enough to win.

He won by 0.74 seconds in a 13:09 (not exactly a fast race) and lead 18% of the race. That's like someone taking the lead in a 1500 with 270 meters to go. A little early for a typical kick but not exactly taking it early.

Perhaps there is a little difference: Tim is 5 years older than Jakob. Jakob is 3 years younger than Kerr and 6 years younger than Jake.

Who do you think will peak last? Jakob, Jake or Kerr?

Jake never became a dominant 1500m runner and it has to be seen if Josh will be.

Jakob already peaked, so for sure he will not peak last

I don’t know what your sentence here really means, so it’s hard to evaluate… First of all: Yes he may have peaked in the sense not getting any better (because of injuries), we just don’t know.

Secondly: He may have peaked in the sense not getting any better because he has reached his potential. But being chronically injured and also quite a bit sick the last four years is an argument against this. Also when it comes to age and fulfilment of training capacity -seems to be more to gain here..

Furthermore: Jakob was clearly capable of better times in 2023 than he got in the 1500m (bad day in his pb run), mile pb (jet lag and short pacing), 5000m (no all out races), 3000m (jet lag, short pacing, not fully recovered from the previous day’s race), but even also in the 2 mile WR (just too convincingly run to be an all out)… And the 10000m and half marathon still untried.

Lastly: Peaking is an individual thing -some are early, some late; the deciding factors for each athlete just too hard to know…

Congratulation with the first "Jakob has peaked" postulate this year.

I suppose you know people have predicted him to have peaked at least 5 years back.

You will only be right if he doesn´t overcome his injury problems.

I mostly agree. Jakob, however, has to overcome his injury problems to beat Kerr and the other top contenders this year.

It looks like Kerr has improved his endurance which may result in faster times in the 1500m and the mile so he will be a tough competitor this year.

The many negativists on this thread, however, forget that Jakob has improved every single year for more than 10 years so Kerr might improve but if it is business as usual so will Jakob.

As a remembrance for the negativists I paste links to the videos from DL Oslo and DL Lausanne 2023 where Jakob convincingly outsprinted the best milers in the world, including Kerr:

Fact check: Gjert made a public proclamation saying that he never WOULD lose to him again. Jakob then promptly lost to Tim about a month later in the Diamond League final.