Is Josh Hoey an idiot?

so it turns out... *checks notes*

building your boy king a goddamned track

does NOT add inches

Front running in an 800 is OK. Going out at 49.2 on a windy day is not. Note that Wanyonyi went out in 50.0 last year in Paris minimal wind. In the world record, Rudisha sent 49.2 but there was no wind and he is a superior athlete. 50.0-50.5 should’ve been the target for Hoey. As it worked out lotta clean races behind him.

Isn't that how Pre became a legend?

Hey that track has provided runners with a chance to pr and run high quality meets

But lol

24.1 first 200 was ridiculous. 12.37/11.79

Part of why the 800 is so fast is top guys realized that's a bad way to pace. Going sub 12 down the backstretch is wild

Never been a fan of the "front running doesn't work" argument.

That being said, Nuguse (who beat Hocker/Strand handidly at Pre) and Hoey (who hasn't lost to Hoppel this year) not being on the team is definitely supporting to that argument

Well to be fair, it’s worked for him a lot this year. I don’t know that we can even really say he choked. He did what he could to win given his fitness level, and came up short. We crowned him way too early. A scenario like this could have easily happened and it did. Hoey has nothing at all to be ashamed of.

In the 800, it’s different. 700m of leading vs 1400. Running extra in an 800 is more costly, as are disruptions to rhythm. Make no mistake, this was more about Hoey doing the tactic poorly vs the tactic itself.

He expended too much on the opening lap, couldn't hold it when the move happened. That could work, but the first lap would have to be a bit slower.

Yeah, he played perfect pacemaker. That’s the last thing you want to do frontrunning an 800. The race strung out so everyone stayed patient until 500. Brazier and Hoppel got clean rides (Hoppel a bit wide but OK) with Millers tactical blunder. Luthkenhaus had the perfect ride to stay patient and wind up from 200 out. If you run like a DL pacer would be instructed, you’ve done it wrong.

Front running does work. It's just dependent on venue and conditions. Hayward has a notoriously bad headwind on the back stretch, and it's also a super windy day. If those are things that I was aware of before the race, Hoey should have known too.

Some times you risk a peak for 6 week ahead. and find others are geared for today.

Brazier is a monster. Toughest man in USA sports

Bravo

I think Hoey made a pretty rational decision based on the evidence of his workouts, results, and the recent results of others and took a smart risk which just didn’t go his way. Not leading early and getting on the rail would have created a situation where he would have been boxed and possibly not made it anyway. This way he at least knew that gunning from the front would leave the least mistakes possible. He was clearly aiming for a 1:41 low to win wire to wire but just didn’t have it after the rounds.

I wouldn't say idiot. Maybe not a great race, but not an idiot. Even if he's been the best this year, the field was very good. His time was still very good and there's no way he could have sensed that the 16-year-old was going to come from behind. Also, he probably was unsure if Brazier could hang on. A LOT happened in the last 70. Plus, it's enormously high stakes - competing for a Worlds spot - and it's top 3 or stay home. Pressure is real - pressure that may not have been there in races earlier this year.

This is all true. I cannot fault him for any of this.

Who told you that? That's not how Pre ran. Pre ran a long grind from 4 laps out.

This is why you run the races. Rojo would have crowned this guy champion if you let him.

Hoey, like Nuguse, could still get into Tokyo if he wins the Diamond League final.