Coach TC wrote:
300's were averaging 4 mile pace and the 200 were averaging averaging 3:44 mile with 2 minutes between reps. If he is close to 3000m world record fitness, it's an easy workout for 6 sets as close as two days out but he may not be there yet and the pace was slightly too hot. Fatigue 'could' be a problem but if the intensity and timing is right, he gets the cns ready to fire and keeps muscle tension high.
Alberto coaches different to you, his guys are doing big volume of high intensity prior to tapering. To keep them primed, he can't cut them back too much intensity during the taper or they will feel lethargic.
Why are multiple dimwits defending the workout, when Salazar himself has said it was probably an error?
3000m averaging faster than mile pace is too much for 48h before a peak race, period.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
The purposes you identify are reasonable, but 3-4 of those sets (max) would have been plenty to achieve that, or better year just 6-8x200 cutting down. (The workout as run moves from priming to the territory of a legitimate workout, which has no place 48h from a race.) Better yet, put it three days out, not with just recovery day between a legit workout and race day.