Did Kipchoge just copy Yuki? Ran a fast first mile to drain Mo.
Did Kipchoge just copy Yuki? Ran a fast first mile to drain Mo.
notrump wrote:
There's something else. The race commentators regularly ridiculed Yuki's racing tactics during the course of the race. They never said "Oh. Maybe this is a tactic Yuki uses to demoralize his opponents by demonstrating his strength and their weakness." After his winning race he gets to say to the world that he's not such an idiot after all. I think we can forgive him if his post-race story has been polished a bit.
And what was Rupp's post-race narrative/excuse: he succumbed to the ever-present asthma and also hypothermia. True to some extent, but the killing blow for Rupp was probably the mental aspect - he realized he was up against a stronger runner and had no chance of winning, or even coming close to winning.
I think, yes, he planned the race and raced the plan. The diff? His worked out.
*Everyone* had a plan, but not everyone had the appropriate calories, clothes or mental perseverance.
Rupp was broken at some point. Why was Yuki *not* broken by Kirui's "insurmountable lead" (according to the announcers)?
Just. Keep. Going. versus "I can't keep going."
Luck is just the intersection of preparation and opportunity. Oh, and guts (or, in U.S./Letsrun terms: "pure hate").
Runfasterpleasesir wrote:
Us thinking he was cueing off Rupp is American egocentrism at its best.
??????
Yuki actually said those words. How is that American egocentrism? My guess is you are just another self-loathing American that is convinced you should feel guilt for being white.
Holy Crap. Whoever crosses the finish line first usually wins the race!
Just grow up
Virtual being the operative word here. Virtual..simulated, not real.
Personally I think Yuki's surges were all very well thought out/met and all and ultimately served their purpose
I don't think for a second that Yuki knew he was going to win, just that he would put himself in the best possible scenario where it could happen [much like every.single.other race he does]
Yes it worked, and sure, the surges in the first half of the race were clearly performed by Yuki to keep the race from becoming one he could not win vs the various speedsters in the field--so he had to run the kick out of them through the surges--just like any other race really.
Is it awesome that it worked out? Absolutely. But lets not pretend this was 3d chess or something. He ran a hot first mile, threw in some surges to keep it honest, and then like everyone else watched Kurui launch a relentless attack on the field that was just a bit unsustainable for him otherwise the entire field was playing for 2nd.