Ruman wrote:
Interested in the returns of Ayana & Kipyegon + outdoor season debut of Houlihan.
Interested to see what Kejelcha can do against a stacked field in the mile.
Kejelcha might have been been a clear favorite in the 2 mile race, but it's probably more interesting that he runs in the mile.
I’m weirdly confident that the women’s 3k will be historically fast. I think Dibaba runs an outdoor WR (excepting Chinese in ‘93) with Hassan right on her heels, as 8 women break 8:30.
This must be one of the strongest fields ever assembled in a women's 3k/5k, it's stronger than the last 5k WC final (and it would be even more so if some women who race in the 1500m or steeple in Stanford would participate in the 3k). 8 women in the field have already broken 8:30 so this would not even be surprising.
If it goes out fast and the pace is kept high I would not be too surprised if 5 or 6 broke 8:25. Hassan's PB is from a moderately paced race with a very fast finish, she must be able to run quite a bit faster from her 1500/5k times. Obiri beat Dibaba in Doha but was inconsistent afterwards, still always a strong contender. Not sure in what shape Ayana is but she would not race if she didn't feel competitive. And it will be Klosterhalfen's first serious outdoor race after joining NOP and her 8:29 was also in a badly paced race where she spent a lot of time in lane 2.