“Jakob did a very good training session Tuesday Sept 16”

That doesn't sound reassuring at all!

I’m pretty sure the interview with Filip was before and not after “the very good training session” (It was merged in from an older interview I have read), so I think Filip would go from a somewhat negative approach to a far more positive if asked today…. And Jakob himself very clearly stresses that he might have had an unusual bad day in the 1500m (judged to what he has done in his training). And Filip said in another interview that Jakob now is inconsistent, and varies from some quite good session to some quite bad ones…

Conclusion: Maybe it can go both ways…

The hay is in the barn. One workout between the 1500 and now isn’t gonna do much at this point.

Seeing as it's a 5000m and not a 1500m, and if he has a good day instead of a bad one, then maybe he will give a somewhat better showing. That's certainly possible.

But given what we saw in the 1500m, I sincerely doubt that he currently has what it takes to be in any serious contention in the 5000m either. He's clearly had far too little specific training at competition speeds and just far too little actual running in general. The guy we saw on Sunday was just miles away.

But it does test the foot. Everyone has been through this themselves, including you. You just never know how and when an injury will be ready. I think he's probably at least 2-3 weeks away though.

Keep in mind he post the 18th fastest time in the heats out of 60 runners. If he ran a 3:41.88 in the opening heat I would be inclined to agree with you. I think you give him the benefit of the doubt for the 5000m by chalking up his 1500m performance being a combination of shaking off rust and also being a bad day.

He only returned to the track in August and most likely has been focusing on 5k work after building his aerobic base for months due to injury. I can't imagine he put more work into his 1500m prep after seeing so many guys post 3:27-3:29 this season before coming into the worlds. We all assumed the 5000m would be the best suited race for him coming off a long injury stint.

Not optomistic following the 1500m heats but wouldn't be something is he came back and won the 5k.

I have zero expectations but it seems like Jakob has remained surprisingly optimistic about the 5000, even immediately after his terrible (his words) 1500. This enthusiasm has continued through the week thus far. Who knows...

Hi I'm running in a 5000m soon. If i can have a good sessiom in training a few days before the race, what time can I run on the day? On the one hand, it is in Tokyo where its hot and humid, my achilles is still a bothering me, and I have not raced recemtly. On the other hand I'm well rested from not making it through to the final of the 1500m. I'm also in a good mood because my enemies did not medal there. But then again I could have won so its a disappointment. Also, some of them will be in the upcoming race. Any advice?

Jakob is clearly not himself right now, but a couple things. Runners can really level up after ONE rust buster.

And he also very possibly would have advanced to the Semis if he ran the race like a man in his current fitness, instead of immediately giving up 10-15 meters like he is able to when he's peak Jakob.

He basically tried to get away with his strategy from 2023 Semis when he lit the track up on the final 400 after sitting near the back, boxed in through 1100-1200.

Copium overdosing is rampant on the board this week!

The hay may be in the barn physiologically, but psychologically it can be very beneficial to actually see that hay, take a little of the hay out to more closely examine it, and give a little bit of that hay to feed your animals so you know that they will thrive on it when necessary

It is always mentally beneficial to do a shakeout where you feel the power of your hay without using it.

I was Jakob, Hocker, and Laros to be the podium soooo bad

Those three dudes ran perhaps the worst races of the championships, though as I type this I just watched Robert Gregory ease up and miss the final.

How much more bad racing do we have to watch? Hocker went from leading comfortably to boxing himself in and being rightfully DQd.

Jakob seemed to think his international cache was enough to get him through.

Laros failed to capitalize on one of the weakest 1500 fields we've seen in a long, long time.

Those three will either come back and take it from the gun (unlikely) or overcompensate and out think themselves. I predict only one of them will make the podium, none will win

Cope springs eternal

maybe, i'm not inside this.

basically, the 1500 should be a rust buster, and sharpen.

ya probably 3 weeks away

my training partner i remember, i was junior, he was 800 nz champ, and left me a couple of minutes behind in the 18 mile waitura long run, which was annoying. but really fun, the pace was sharp after 5 miles.

anyway he got a stress fracture, out like 3 weekish, and i had to slow down for a couple of weeks when he came back, else run alone.

was it 3, or 4 weeks and he was burying my ass again?

that said, i had to run 3 miles to get to the start line, so it was 21 miles.

fond memories. tough work, which is probably why we like the sport

anyway, the story backs perhaps malmo conjecture.

Your story matches my experience with a stress fracture. 5-6 weeks of jogging, taping, icing and careful workouts. Running races, mostly miles 4:09-4:16 getting my are kicked. Then popping a PR (3:42) out of nowhere. Struggling for 3 more weeks. Then gingerly attempting a steeplechase 8:48 feeling any moment my foot would explode. 14 days later 8:22, US record at nationals.

The point is no one really knows how, or if, an injury is going to heal. If you can't take on risk you don't belong in sports.

Jakob and Kerr are willing to take on risk. It's in their DNA. They aren't there to whinge.

According to you, but here's reality.

Hocker was dq for a minor bump.

Jakob has a grounded view of his place in the scheme of things.

Laros was not the best runner in the race. He was the 5th best.