This is getting out of hand. Embarrassment to the sport level. You can tell somethings off with how the announcers reacted, they should be so much more excited for the former HS star that is finally having a pro breakthrough, but instead they're treating it like Addy Wiley, even putting Grant Fisher in the interview with him so when he tests positive they have an interview with the winner of the race.
You can't tell me that this doesn't look unnatural. Hoey tied up three separate times and just kept gapping the field. His mechanics are so awful and that should be even more costly indoors with tighter turns but turns out he can make Olympic medalists look silly, crushing a stacked field. I don't care if it was Fisher's off event, it wasn't even Hoey's main event either.
Last year this guy was a 1:47 800 runner as he was for SIX years before that. Not running it once, but multiple times. A very consistent 1:47 guy has now become a consistent world beater and over distance monster.
We're as bad as East Africa at this point. At least they need the money to survive. Is Hoey short on funds for a 9th lane on the family track, or an adidas contract for the family dog?
Look, even if we overlook his sudden 1:48 to 1:43 (and what looks like 1:42 ability in 2025) improvement and attribute it to the new bicarb system, it's his progression in the longer distances that leaves a sour taste in my mouth. From unable to break 4 flat to a 3:52 last year and now a 3:33 1500? Not to mention his astronomical 1000m jumps. I don't care if he's got a new coach, blah blah, but this superhuman improvement in the longer distances for an 800m/mid distance runner is a hallmark of past cheaters like Ramzi. He also shares similarities to Katir, who was shaky in the 1500m because he lacked speed but nigh unbeatable in the 5000m because of EPO.
It does raise a lot of questions on how he progressed so fast...I only ever saw him as a back marker whose pretty forgettable when racing any of the top US guys. Not only does he run a breakthrough 1:43 but sets a world record in the 1000m. Doesn't matter if you were on your best day and a race that's hardly run. You don't just come out and beat world records on any day. I don't buy it and sooner or later he will be snuffed out by the system.
He's had 5 years to learn now...You don't just go from a 1:47 for 5 years straight to 1:43 in a single season. Considering what others have said about his form as well, even that is marginal gains in the 800-1500m distances. Not only that an American record? A Nobody to put it blunt to record holder as well? If you can't master your racecraft and fix your form why be a pro at all? This stinks of PEDs. I could believe someone like Hoppel going from 1:43 to 1:41 or Hocker who's shown he could drop a second or two any day of the week given his kick ability but not Hoey who is now suddenly on the same level as the top US 800-1500 guys who've been relevant since they've been out of college. From hardly being able to touch 4:00 in the mile to 3:52...I don't buy it and he will get caught 100%
He's under scrutiny now. But I stick to my general rule: benefit of the doubt until there's evidence of something shady. He still hasn't won or placed well in a race of any consequence, and 3:33 is far from extraordinary these days even the f it represents a big PB for him
It does raise a lot of questions on how he progressed so fast...I only ever saw him as a back marker whose pretty forgettable when racing any of the top US guys. Not only does he run a breakthrough 1:43 but sets a world record in the 1000m. Doesn't matter if you were on your best day and a race that's hardly run. You don't just come out and beat world records on any day. I don't buy it and sooner or later he will be snuffed out by the system.
Josh Hoey did not break the world record in the indoor 1000m. It was the American record. He was 0.5 off of the world record.
It does raise a lot of questions on how he progressed so fast...I only ever saw him as a back marker whose pretty forgettable when racing any of the top US guys. Not only does he run a breakthrough 1:43 but sets a world record in the 1000m. Doesn't matter if you were on your best day and a race that's hardly run. You don't just come out and beat world records on any day. I don't buy it and sooner or later he will be snuffed out by the system.
Josh Hoey did not break the world record in the indoor 1000m. It was the American record. He was 0.5 off of the world record.
From what I saw, he ran the first 1000m of that race faster than the current 1000m world record