Max Burgin back, Josh Kerr struggling a little in British champs 800 rounds

Huh. I won't read much into a non-final round of his non-main event, but I'll grant he looked like he was struggling there. Was that a 1:45? Not bad, I guess, and I suppose this underscores he's more of a strength runner...albeit one who can summit a pretty good kick in a 1500.

But if this is a sign of trouble for him, then I also wouldn't be surprised

Do you think Jakob or Nuguse would have qualified from that heat? No surprise he loses to the WC 800m bronze medallist and Max Burgin. Did well to qualify ahead of Botterill and Rowden, both of whom have ran faster than Kerr's PB this season and are specialist 800m men.

Burgin apparently has been having a 'nerve injury' which he says he is managing. His fitness looked better than the trials last season, but we'll find out more today. It's exciting that he seems to be looking to vary his tactics. Outkicking Ben Pattison in the home straight is impressive.

Hobbs MF Kessdawg woulda done so. Look out below!

Probably a good idea not to run an 800m in lane 2.

Must have been confused without his shades.

Yes, I think at least Jakob would have qualified easily. He recently destroyed a high 1:43, a 1:44 and a 1:45 runner (Habz, Gourley and Nader) so that would be no problem.

Kerr: Let´s see if he is faster today. If not, he should be happy that he isn´t running the 1500m. It would be embarrasing if he didn´t place in top 3.

…in a 1500.

IMO, Ingebrigtsen would likely have fared pretty much exactly the same as Kerr in that heat.

Both guys are probably capable of 1:44-mid to 1:45-flat in a perfect scenario, but it’s hard to nail the tactics with limited opportunities and elite 800 experience, and when you have less speed reserve than true 800 specialists.

Quack

Kerr has always been more of a strength runner so not that surprising.

For some reason his 5K time has never been particularly impressive, but with 8 flat and 61:50(HM) under his belt, you'd expect him to be able to run a really good 5K

He looked to me like someone who is training hard for the Olympics in August. I would say the same about Nuguse.

It will be interesting to see if Kessler and Hocker still look this sharp in two months or if the American system bites our middle distance up-and-comers once again.

There’s a huge difference between the 800m and 1500m! Kerr is not an 800m runner - he’s doing it to sharpen up. He’s a 1500m plus runner.

I actually don’t think Jakob would be that good at the 800m - when was the last time he tested himself over the distance? He’s also more endurance and 1500m+. They’re all different. It’s obvious. Jake Wightman is 800m/1500m.

I think it’s good that those already qualified and have a spot for the Olympics are doing different distances to normal. (See also Keely).

Josh looked fat and flat here. Jakob looked like an absolute CHAD at the Norweejen nationals. GOLD for Jakob coming.

All that hair gel is soaking into his brain and creating confusion for him.

I mean yes they would have…They’re not 800m guys either but Kerr ran a tactically terrible race. Yared would sandbag the race which would’ve worked and Jakob would never run that much in lane 2.

Jesus that was a loaded heat no? Burgin, Pattison, Kerr, Rowden - and no time qualifiers that meant that sub 1.44 guy Rowden, who ran a second faster than anyone in heats 1 or 3, didn't even get close to making it. Yikes.

The first round of the Olympic 1500 is August 2nd. In what world is that two months away?
Hocker looked great indoors in 2021. Running 3:50 for the mile, then the mile/3k double at NCAAs but he was definitely be cooked by outdoors right? Nope. He had an amazing outdoor NCAA season. Won the NCAA 1500. But he was definitely cooked for the trials, right? Won the trials. Okay, but he definitely wasn’t sharp for the Olympics after that long NCAA season, right? 6th in a PR of 3:31. I feel good about Hocker being sharp for the Olympics in one month.

Imagine what you can do when you are never tested.

You're confident that Jakob would take 1/2 a second off his pb, and Nuguse almost the same, in not great conditions? Where would Jakob be running in lane 1? Would he start at the back and kick past Kerr in the home straight? You're confident of Nuguse and Jakob outkicking Kerr in an 800m when they can't in the 1500. That's just weird.

Jakob ran the last 300m in lane 2 or 3 in the Rome 1500m semifinal. That didn´t hurt him much. Kerr just didn´t have the legs in this 800m heat.

And does it matter that Rowden is a 1:44 runner when he obviously is far from his best?

Always rooting for your Jakob using all sort of arguments.
Not an objective observer but a biased observer.