Bouabdellah Tahri - who won bronze in 2009 but hasn't steepled in 3 years - is returning to the event with the goal being gold in Rio.
http://www.european-athletics.org/news/article=tahri-wants-clear-all-barriers-rio/index.html?cid=rss
Bouabdellah Tahri - who won bronze in 2009 but hasn't steepled in 3 years - is returning to the event with the goal being gold in Rio.
http://www.european-athletics.org/news/article=tahri-wants-clear-all-barriers-rio/index.html?cid=rss
The good news for Jager is Tahri will be 37 in Rio. If Jager can't be a 37 year old, he doesn't deserve a medal.
I doubt 2016 jager will have much trouble competing against the aged tahri. He's fantastically talented and his pinnacle is up ahead. The Kenyans remain the sole challenge and what a challenge.
kind of old man wrote:
The good news for Jager is Tahri will be 37 in Rio. If Jager can't be a 37 year old, he doesn't deserve a medal.
That statement makes no sense. The only reason someone deserves a medal is if they place in the top 3. Age of the opponents is irrelevant
WiscotodiWurld wrote:
I doubt 2016 jager will have much trouble competing against the aged tahri. He's fantastically talented and his pinnacle is up ahead. The Kenyans remain the sole challenge and what a challenge.
Mahiédine Mekhissi-Benabbad (FRA) and Jairus Birech are the best in the world right now. How many other good Kenyans are there? Kemboi, Kipruto, and Koech are their next best right now, as they have been for the last 10 years, and they are all getting old.
HardLoper wrote:
Mahiédine Mekhissi-Benabbad (FRA) and Jairus Birech are the best in the world right now. How many other good Kenyans are there? Kemboi, Kipruto, and Koech are their next best right now, as they have been for the last 10 years, and they are all getting old.
You make a good point.
Plus any new guys may be running the marathon where there is more money. Ethiopia's Yacob Jarso, who was 4th at the 2008 Olympics in the steeple, is just 26 but has been in the marathon for a while now. He ran 2:06 in Seoul this year.
Of course, Jarso's pb is just 8:12 so Jager would beat him anyway.
Jäger won't medal unless he runs away from everyone. He never closes faster than 65. Kemboi closes in 57-58, as do Mekhissi-Benabbad and Birech. Some luck and a perfect race must be involved if he plans to get on the podium.
Evan Jager can beat the Kenyans, especially when there are only four in the field and since Kipruto and Koech are getting old (not to say they aren't a force to be reckoned with). The question is whether or not Mahiedine can be beaten by Jager. I don't see a 37 year old who has taken 3 years off (presumably because of injury?) being at all a threat on the world stage.
Good news is 10 Kenyans who are better than Jager will overtrain just trying to make the team.
Tahri wasn't gone from the sport, just the steeple. He actually ran a 3:32 1500m in 2013 and a 13:12 5000m this year (as well as a 2:16 marathon apparently). He's still good, but I don't think a healthy Jager should have to worry about him
HardLoper wrote:
WiscotodiWurld wrote:I doubt 2016 jager will have much trouble competing against the aged tahri. He's fantastically talented and his pinnacle is up ahead. The Kenyans remain the sole challenge and what a challenge.
Mahiédine Mekhissi-Benabbad (FRA) and Jairus Birech are the best in the world right now. How many other good Kenyans are there? Kemboi, Kipruto, and Koech are their next best right now, as they have been for the last 10 years, and they are all getting old.
You forgot the new Kipruto. Conseslus was off this year but was invincible in 2013 and will surely bounce back.
benabbad isn't losing to jager with the speed he showed in that euro 1500m this year. but jager should contend for a medal if kenya doesn't produce more great steeplers in the meantime.
rojo wrote:
You make a good point.
Plus any new guys may be running the marathon where there is more money. Ethiopia's Yacob Jarso, who was 4th at the 2008 Olympics in the steeple, is just 26 but has been in the marathon for a while now. He ran 2:06 in Seoul this year.
Of course, Jarso's pb is just 8:12 so Jager would beat him anyway.
Runs an 8:12 but popped out a 2:06:17.
An also ran in the steeple is a better marathoner then every single American ever born. God we suck.
#YOBRO wrote:
rojo wrote:You make a good point.
Plus any new guys may be running the marathon where there is more money. Ethiopia's Yacob Jarso, who was 4th at the 2008 Olympics in the steeple, is just 26 but has been in the marathon for a while now. He ran 2:06 in Seoul this year.
Of course, Jarso's pb is just 8:12 so Jager would beat him anyway.
Runs an 8:12 but popped out a 2:06:17.
An also ran in the steeple is a better marathoner then every single American ever born. God we suck.
Ummmmmmm Ever heard of Ryan Hall?
Matt Hughes will be beating Jager in 2 years.
Oh, buttocks. wrote:
Ummmmmmm Ever heard of Ryan Hall?
Yeah unaided PR is 2:06:17. Point still stands.
kind of old man wrote:
The good news for Jager is Tahri will be 37 in Rio. If Jager can't be a 37 year old, he doesn't deserve a medal.
Carlos Lopes.
I was counting on bennabad getting banned from competition ahead of rio for his antics. But who knows, a French mans hate can move mountains
Bob did run 3:32.7 in 2013. I mean he's getting up there but don't count him out of being in the hunt. He has run an 8:01 steeple, 7:33 flat 3km. (Also he ran a 3:37 in a tactical 1500 this season
Jager is a stud but I can't see him medaling in Rio, the steeple looked thin this year but when the olympics roll around there will be 5 strong guys for sure.
I would say Jagar's best chance is a fast race from the gun. He doesn't have a lot of top end speed for closing fast. So his best chance is an 8:00 flat type of race. Not an 8:20 where guys will close in 57-59. He doesn't seem to be able to close faster then 62 or so. I always thought he just had trouble closing fast over barriers but looking at Mead and True blowing him away at the end of the 5000m in Palo Alto I realized he doesn't have the wheels to close fast. (Keep in mind that true and mead aren't known as fast closers themselves.)
Just my thoughts, but I do think hes worth talking about in the medal picture. It's just going to take an amazing day for him and 2 guys running poorly.
dsrunner wrote:
Good news is 10 Kenyans who are better than Jager will overtrain just trying to make the team.
Bad news is that the 3 who make it will be awesome.
Koech won't make it. Old, not the greatest at the trials.
Brimin Kipruto and and Kemboi are a getting up there as well. But I would not count out either one. Both are amongst the greatest ever.
On there heals are the youngsters -
The youngsters in Kenya are legit. Mutai (8:01), C. Kipruto (8:01), Kuriu (8:06), Yego (8:03), Birech (7:58). They are on the circuit racing and gaining tons of experience and they are the future.
They also have a few guys who are decent in the junior ranks.