why even post? wrote:
This is the correct answer.
At 23, Hocker has only broken 1:46 once in his entire career (finally getting there in 2024), in spite of racing it quite a lot. He is an endurance-based miler (3:27/12:58), not an 800-1500 man.
From a mile down, Hocker gets only worse as the distance gets shorter. Much worse.
He certainly doesn't have the speed for anything noteworthy in the 600.
Meanwhile, Kerley has demonstrated tools for a noteworthy 600. He has a decade of experience at a high high level in the 400. Has run sub-45.00 26 times. He has run sub-46.00 44 times.
Nobody with a clue would bet against Kerley here. And that includes Hocker, apparently. 😆😆😆🐔🐔🐔🐥🐥🐥
You clearly haven’t watched Hocker much, nor does your logic work. For one thing he improved 3 seconds in the 1500 alone last year in a single race, which was an event he raced much, much more. Another aspect is that most of his 800 efforts were early season, in injury-plagued seasons (2022-3) and feature Hocker going out slow and navigating through traffic and running more like 805+ meters. In a lanes or flat-out street race like a 600, Hocker doesnt have to worry about that and could certainly throw down something decent. The issue for Kerley is he now specializes in the 100-200, and while there is major precedent for short sprinters making it to 400, there is less up to 600. Kerley is heavier and slower than in his 400m specialist days where he could hit 43s. Now he looks ragged hitting 44s and struggles running curves (though i understand thats why hes proposing a street race).