Before the World Championships, Gressier beat a lot of big names, including Grant Fisher and Mehary, in a 3000 in Zurich. The consensus on the podcast was that it was a fluke. Nobody thought Gressier would medal in any event at Tokyo.
At the World Championships, Gressier beat everyone in the 10000. The consensus: Another fluke. After all, the pace was really slow. A lot of talk on the podcast about there being an asterisk in this race.
Then Gressier came back medaled in the 5000, which was not slow. This time there was a grudging admission that, yes, he has a good kick.
Around this time, Rojo said Gressier would not have won the 10000 if Cheptegai had been in the race. Not only is this debatable, it is a slap in the face to Gressier. It shows that even after he won two medals, the Letsrun experts still do not consider Gressier to be the real deal.
Gressier was the only distance runner to win two medals in Tokyo. He peaked at the right time and, yes, he has a very good kick. It is time for Letsrun to give him his due.