Could peak-form Centro have been top 5 in that 1,500 final?

Peak Centro ran a PB of 3:30.4, so reality disagrees.

Why? What happened in that race? Who won?

Centro ran his best races relative to his competition at Championships routinely. So, putting a cap on him based on how he did in Monaco feels a bit shortsighted. That's not even accounting for the superspikes, which might aid a nice bit as far as recovering from rounds and energy return.

That's exactly my point, he ran best in sit and kick/highly tactical races, not races like yesterday. If yesterday had been an ordinary "championship" style race, I would not have posed the question.

BUT it wasn't, and he did struggle (at least compared to peers) in faster, time-trial style races, which leads me to believe he would not have been top 5 yesterday.

nope.

Totally fair. It's a great hypothetical because Centro knew what he was going up against (3:35+ type races with major kicking) and prepared accordingly. Wightman tells us last year's fast final literally set the stage for this year as he readjusted his approach and made sure he had the necessary strength to medal in this era. You'd have to think that if prime Centro was from 2016-present (instead of 2011-2016), he'd similarly had put more work into his strength as opposed to his speed. After 2016, we heard Salazar and him were molding him to be able to run a 50-51 second last lap in a slow race because that is what would beat Kiprop, Souleiman or Makhloufi. I'm sure more of his energy would've been being able to hold it together at 56-second pace in the final and through faster rounds before, if he was at his peak in this era.

Centro's PB's were at wind-sheltered, nice-weather Monaco, not a hot windy sprint mecca. He'd have been way out of his league.

Of course his "peak form" is 3:29, a time he never ran, but so the "peak form" of the race winners is more like 3:26.

I could care less what you think!

Don"t remember much about the actual race.

Just remember that awful stench that followed it.

Centro is one of the greats. He ran 13:00 for a 5k and 1:44. He would have been top 5 at his peak. You don't win as many medals as him with out being good.

Yep. Also, he was in 3:28 shape at his peak if he had the new super shoes. They ARE worth 2 sec+. But this would’ve been a tough podium, even for him.

No shot…but Nick Willis…

Peak centro wasn't running in super shoes, so peak centro 3:30 is really worth something sub 3:30 today. Do I think he would have won, no, but lets not pretend a 3:30 before super shoes is the same as a 3:30 in super shoes. He was better than you are giving him credit for. That said I don't think he would have medalled in a race this fast. He was a better tactician in slower races (no global champ or high quality daimond league wins in a race faster than 3:35 I believe).

Centro might've won this race. He ran 3:30 in regular spikes. Imagine how much faster in the carbon plated spikes today.

The aftermath of the rio 1500 was around 10% of this board complaining about the slow time and the other 90% freaking out about a US gold and one of the most masterful displays of championship racing they’d ever seen.

The “awful stench” is the retconned view built in the last few years by (1) people who just look at the 3:50 winning time without actually watching the race, and (2) the Shelby doping case, since she and Centro had dated prior to her getting busted.

Not at all. As soon as he crossed the finish line at Rio, he became an Olympic Gold Medal winner and nothing will ever change that.

Disagree. You need to look at a slightly bigger picture. The times run by men and women in 3000, 5000, 10000 on track and in road races have definitely moved on considerably since 2018. Then look at the women in the 1500m. It is implausible that it wouldn't have an effect on men over 1500m. I would say that the advanced spikes have helped over 1500m by at least 1 sec. If you then consider the concerted efforts of Mondo to make each new track for a World or Olympic championships the fastest ever, we can probably add on another second.

Go back to tracks and spikes of 10 years ago and get rid of light pacing and I see Ingebrigtsen as a 3:29 athlete and the likes of Kipsang, Wightman, Kerr as 3:30/3:31 guys.

Look at the stats between pre and post 'super spikes'.

Lets take the number of performances a) below 3:31 and b) below 3:32. I have left out 2020 as there was a limited circuit and many athletes did not compete due to Covid pandemic.

2016 - a) 2, b) 10

2017 - a) 4, b) 7

2018 - a) 5, b) 17

Introduction of new 'Super spikes'

2019 - a) 12, b) 31

2021 - a) 13, b) 25

13 flat is pretty good. It was great until the 1990s.

1:44 is pretty good. It was great until the 1970s

You need a time machine

free kiprop