What? Track and Field New picks Nuguse 3rd - Hocker 9th in Olympic 1500?

Nuguse and Komen are darkhorses. The medals could very well end up being similar or the same as Tokyo lol. Jakob, Cheruiyot, Kerr.

That's because the olympic finals won't be a 3:30 race. Hocker will not be a legit medal threat.

Zero chance that Nordås finishes that high or Hocker finishes that far back.

Those picks will look funny when Hocker wins the gold!

Totally agree with your outrage. Youre right, they have Hockey too high and Higher too low

I’m not so bullish to say “zero chance,” but it’s odd that they put Nordas ahead of Brian Komen on a “form chart.” Komen has spanked him the two times they’ve raced this season and those were two of Nordas’s better 1500 results on the year.

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With Tim being back in 3:28 shape and stated he was getting fitter everyday over the last 3 weeks and Jakob in 3:26, you can ALMOST guarantee it's going to be 3;28 or faster winning time. The top 3 will most likely require 3:28.9 or better and I guess it's up to Hocker to prove he can go way under 3:30.

I think Jakob is running 3:26 high/3:27 low in the final. So unless Kerr improves his PR at age 26 with more than 2 seconds, he isnt winning.

The guys who run TafNews are very PC. Keep that in mind.

Last years results are factoring heavily in a “form chart.” No other way to explain Nordas or Tual being ranked 5th below Arop.

Man went 52 on the last lap kicking way earlier than usual for a 3:30, and people re acting as if he can’t go way under that.

He’s easily in 3:28 shape, just look at how he’s been doing this year vs prior years.

hocker has never broken 3:30?

Tim's comeback really makes things interesting. After the Bowerman MIle, Nuguse, Kerr and Jakob seemed like locks for medals-they were a level above everyone else.

Not so easy to say how things will play out now with Komen and Tim running so well. But 1. The race will almost certainly be lightning fast and 2. I think Yared will be more on the conservative side (even more so than usual)/shoot for a bronze instead of trying to hang with Jakob/Kerr for gold.

Additionally, maybe Jakob and Kerr break the other/each other and one of Komen/Nuguse/Tim tangent pulls off silver/gold. 🤷

You really think Jacob is running that fast without a pacer? I really doubt it. Furthermore if he does try then i bet he loses. He needs to slowly wind it up like El G in 2004.

Tough call, but I see Hocker higher too, at least 4th. Jacob 1, Kerr 2, the rest will be a scramble.

Kerr running a PB at 26 won’t be easy, but it’s far from impossible. He’s already destroyed his mile best with 3:45.34 earlier this season when his previous best was 3:48.87 at BU in 2022. Jake Wightman was 28 in Oregon 2022 and ran a PB of 3:29.23 to beat Jakob in the 1500m final. I agree that Jakob’s going to run something quick, but 3:26 in an unpaced race has quite literally never been done before. I definitely think he can better El Guerrouj’s 3:27.65 as the fastest 1500m in a global final, but everything will have to be right for Jakob to run something that fast.

I think Hocker can definitely surprise some people, but with how the fields looking so far, I think Nuguse has a better chance to podium.

Hocker closed a 3:30 in 52 to clearly win the Trials (with 2 rounds in his legs) and we don't think he can go way under 3:30? He closed in 52 to win the Trials in 2021 in a 3:35 race, and Centro pushed him all the way to the line, and he got down to 3:31 and 6th at the Olympics. Now he can run 5 seconds faster with the same close. I think he'll be ready to run 3:28, maybe faster, but between Tim, Jakob, Kerr, and Nuguse, 3:28 may not be enough to medal. Kerr ran 3:29.0 in Tokyo for bronze and he's a lot better now. Tim seems to be about the same level, Jakob is way better, and Nuguse will hopefully be in 3:27 shape again.

Past that top 5, Brian Komen just ran 3:28, and Nordas almost pipped Jakob at Worlds last year. He hasn't been as good this year, but he just ran 3:31.0, so he may just be coming along at the right time. I remember thinking after Oslo last year that he'd have run 3:28 if he hadn't been stuck behind a wall of people. It's stupid deep, and even if Hocker is in 3:28 low shape, there's no guarantee it'll be good enough to medal.

For me I don't really care about who fills up the lower places and positions, I only care about my man, the one and only, the best 1500m of the modern era Josh KERR!!!!!!!!!

I care that he wins the damn thing alright!!!!!!! He has the best acceleration, best change of pace, best finishing kick, largest stride length, best biomechanical STEALTH technique what is there not to like about him sir?????

He is a LOCK FOR GOLD!!!!!!!!