Hermens says Kenenisa had been racing too much due to mixed signals about what was required from the Ethiopian Federation. Nobody with any intelligence will be surprised if Kenenisa wins 10,000m in London.
http://www.ajc.com/sports/bekele-shooting-for-another-1488216.html
He is the hunted, not the hunter this time around.
manbearpig wrote:
He is the hunted, not the hunter this time around.
There is a chance that Kenenisa is whatever he wants to be, and you'd have to be the world's biggest fool to think you will conquer him mentally with everything at stake and one lap to go.
I will add that there is only one legend who will be lining up in London for the 10,000m. There is only one man that is absolutely feared, even now. When the others look over and see Kenenisa, they will see the man who has NEVER been defeated in a 10,000m race that he has finished. Kenenisa WILL control this race, make no mistake. Kenenisa will be on their minds, and when the race is decided, Kenenisa will have willed himself to victory. Make no mistake.
The article sounds nice, but the bottom line is that he hasn't showed any sign this year that he's anywhere close to top form, which I think he'll need to be to defeat Farah. That July 6 race where he had his doors blown off by a handful of guys was not that long ago.
Now I'm no hater, in fact I'll be pulling for him to get his three-peat, but if I had to place money on it I would have to go with Mo. Honestly unless he really has made a remarkable improvement in the past few weeks I think it's very possible that Rupp beats him. But we shall see, certainly the race I'm most looking forward to in these Olympics.
SPMBLNPF wrote:
I will add that there is only one legend who will be lining up in London for the 10,000m. There is only one man that is absolutely feared, even now. When the others look over and see Kenenisa, they will see the man who has NEVER been defeated in a 10,000m race that he has finished. Kenenisa WILL control this race, make no mistake. Kenenisa will be on their minds, and when the race is decided, Kenenisa will have willed himself to victory. Make no mistake.
Its not 2004. Stop sipping the Bekele kool aid. Just b/c he is a few seconds faster, he is no way the competitor Geb was. Watch the Olympic 10k of Geb vs Tergat. When Bekele cant win he drops out - 2007 World XC & 2011 World Champs 10000m.
Bekele will be the one on the starting line questioning himself. With two laps to go, Bekele is going to have lots of company and they are going to tear into him like a pack of wild dogs.
Remember this: Farah lost his last 10,000m race. Kenenisa has NEVER lost at the distance, if you don't count the DNF. There will be no DNF this time, and that means one thing: with a lap to go, I am going with the man who has never lost.
I see a random Kenyan winning this race. Someone folks are ignoring.
SPMBLNPF wrote:
Remember this: Farah lost his last 10,000m race. Kenenisa has NEVER lost at the distance, if you don't count the DNF. There will be no DNF this time, and that means one thing: with a lap to go, I am going with the man who has never lost.
He dropped out b/c he was going to lose.
manbearpig wrote:
SPMBLNPF wrote:Remember this: Farah lost his last 10,000m race. Kenenisa has NEVER lost at the distance, if you don't count the DNF. There will be no DNF this time, and that means one thing: with a lap to go, I am going with the man who has never lost.
He dropped out b/c he was going to lose.
Again, he will NOT drop out this time, and he will NOT lose this time. This is the big one. Daegu does not compare with this one, and he really wasn't ready for it anyway. Kenenisa has run 12:55 this year, and you're going to bet against him at 10,000m?
Salazar will be left shaking his head. However, he would not have been able to defend the 5K title anywhere but Ethiopia. He did not earn his position, but he will win the gold nonetheless in the 5K as well.
Problem is he has not shown himself to be the same man who won all of those 10000m races from 2003-2009. In all of those years he was winning virtually every other race he entered leading up to the games, this year he's been getting smoked all summer. Sure, he's had a few weeks to tweak things with his training, and it's of course possible he'll show up in really good shape, but I just don't see how you can be so sure he'll win given his lackluster year so far. In fact I don't think you are actually so sure, you're just blowing smoke on this board because there's no consequences for being wrong, but on the off chance you're right you can come back and gloat.
No, there would be no reason to gloat if I'm correct. You speak as if it is surprising for somebody to pick somebody to win an event in which has NEVER lost. I don't believe Kenenisa would win the 5000m this year, but have you ever seen the man defeated at 10,000m? Have you seen the look the man gets in his eyes with 400m to go in a 10,000m race? If you had, and you realized that his 12:55 is close to the fastest this year of those in the 10,000m, you'd realize that only a fool would bet against this man.
Stepping off the track does not change the fact that he was beaten in a 10K, so stop pretending he is undefeated. He is not. He may very well win, but his streak has already been snapped.
manbearpig wrote:
SPMBLNPF wrote:I will add that there is only one legend who will be lining up in London for the 10,000m. There is only one man that is absolutely feared, even now. When the others look over and see Kenenisa, they will see the man who has NEVER been defeated in a 10,000m race that he has finished. Kenenisa WILL control this race, make no mistake. Kenenisa will be on their minds, and when the race is decided, Kenenisa will have willed himself to victory. Make no mistake.
Its not 2004. Stop sipping the Bekele kool aid. Just b/c he is a few seconds faster, he is no way the competitor Geb was. Watch the Olympic 10k of Geb vs Tergat. When Bekele cant win he drops out - 2007 World XC & 2011 World Champs 10000m.
Bekele will be the one on the starting line questioning himself. With two laps to go, Bekele is going to have lots of company and they are going to tear into him like a pack of wild dogs.
Yah even though Bekele has way more world championship gold medals than Geb, he obviously wasn't the competitor Geb was.
Pleas...e Bekele is better. Watch the 2009 World Champ 10k or the 2008 Olympic 5k if you want to see how legendary Bekele is. Bekele could win without drafting the whole time.
That you think Rupp has a shot at Bekele says it all.
It's a two horse race, and I don't like Farah's chances
OK, so translated Bekele will be juiced to the gills. Isthis OK???
the letter why wrote:
Stepping off the track does not change the fact that he was beaten in a 10K, so stop pretending he is undefeated. He is not. He may very well win, but his streak has already been snapped.
If you have any sense, then you know that that wasn't a true defeat. He was out of shape/still injured. That is a perfectly valid excuse for someone at his level.
"Beaten" would have been if someone dropped him in a surge and/or outkicked him in the end.
ttyrdyjud wrote:
He was out of shape/still injured. That is a perfectly valid excuse for someone at his level.
Nope.
A loss is a loss.
SPMBLNPF wrote:
Remember this: Farah lost his last 10,000m race. Kenenisa has NEVER lost at the distance, if you don't count the DNF. There will be no DNF this time, and that means one thing: with a lap to go, I am going with the man who has never lost.
So Bekele has never lost a 10k, if you don't count the 10k he lost?
cool