The Zurich men’s 1500 was billed as World Champ Josh Kerr taking a shot at the British record in the event but it was American Yared Nuguse who clipped him a...
If anything this proves Jakob's point: it's not easy to win from the front...like Jakob has at every DL 1500m this year.
Kerr ran a bold race from the front, and I was rooting for him to win to solidify his WC title, but I think this confirms a healthy Jakob beats Kerr. Jakob would have won this race.
What does this matter? Would Jakob have beaten Kerr in Budapest if he hadn't taken the lead?
Kerr is clearly the best miler in the world other than Jakob, and a threat to Jakob in a championship race whether Jakob is sick or not. Nguse pipping Kerr today is like Don Paige pipping Coe in a race post Moscow. Pretty meaningless really. This was the best Nguse against a Kerr who has probably been partying for a week, as well as giving a thousand interviews and the like. And he was lucky to win. Katir is clearly no longer a factor at 1500.
I don’t think Kerr was running from the front to prove a point either. I think he was going after the British record. Ramsden laid an egg and suddenly it went from great time trial setup to a very long run (850m+) from home. He nearly won anyway, but this was botched execution from the pacers and Kerr had to make the most of it.
Agreed, Kerr probably could have run a better race if he chose to only go for the win, at that point. He could have backed off the pace to save more in the tank for a bigger kick.
Jakob’s point? Aren’t you forgetting the LRC submitted question asking how Jakob would win in a non-DL championship type race without a pacesetter, and Jakob replied, “Waddaya talking about? I’m the pacesetter!”
It wasn’t Jakob’s point. Jakob was initially passing it off, per his answer to the question, that it would not be that big of deal for him.
No, I'm not forgetting that question or his answer. It's not easy to win from the front even as World Champion...see Kerr today. Jakob is able to do it because he is that much better than everyone else. I believe that was his point.
But you are still neglecting the fact that Jakob is 0 for 2 when it comes to a World Championship where he has to lead from the front without pacesetting help. He hasn’t yet demonstrated under those circumstances that he “is able to do it.”
I have no reason to believe that Goose is juiced and Kerr isn't. It could be the other way around, or both juiced or neither juiced. Goose has been tested quite a bit this year.
If anything this proves Jakob's point: it's not easy to win from the front...like Jakob has at every DL 1500m this year.
Kerr ran a bold race from the front, and I was rooting for him to win to solidify his WC title, but I think this confirms a healthy Jakob beats Kerr. Jakob would have won this race.
It escapes you that every race is run in its own merits and is not the same as any other race. Who cares if Jakob might have won this race, he lost the championship final - and he was healthy enough to run it, as well as win the 5k afterwards. His fans can never concede he can be fairly beaten. He was. In 3 finals now.
This post was edited 1 minute after it was posted.
If anything this proves Jakob's point: it's not easy to win from the front...like Jakob has at every DL 1500m this year.
Kerr ran a bold race from the front, and I was rooting for him to win to solidify his WC title, but I think this confirms a healthy Jakob beats Kerr. Jakob would have won this race.
Jakob’s point? Aren’t you forgetting the LRC submitted question asking how Jakob would win in a non-DL championship type race without a pacesetter, and Jakob replied, “Waddaya talking about? I’m the pacesetter!”
It wasn’t Jakob’s point. Jakob was initially passing it off, per his answer to the question, that it would not be that big of deal for him.
No, I'm not forgetting that question or his answer. It's not easy to win from the front even as World Champion...see Kerr today. Jakob is able to do it because he is that much better than everyone else. I believe that was his point.
Based on the results of every other DL 1,500m this year, if you replace Kerr with Jakob and he runs the exact same way Kerr did (which is reasonable considering how Jakob tends to run) I think a healthy Jakob wins comfortably by .5-1+ seconds.
Kerr did not run a smart tactical race prioritizing a win. Instead, he ran boldly from the front to prove a point - that he is the best in the world - similar to how Jakob ran the '22 WC 5,000m. Anyone else (beside Jakob) likely would have been eaten up with 100m to go, but Kerr dug deep and almost held on for the win. Had he run a more conservative race I think he would have had a better chance at holding off a late charge from Nuguse, but he wanted to make a point. That was an incredible race by Kerr, but I still believe that Jakob was not wrong to say that Kerr was just the "next guy" on the day of the WC final.
The "next guy" is the world champion, something Jakob has never achieved over this distance. I'm sure Jakob would prefer to be the "next guy" rather than the loser. So far, at the world champs 1500, that's what he is.
glad kerr got checked by nuguse. what a joke. could you imagine feeling on top of the world winning the world champs on a lucky fluke, only to get reminded youre a one off chump a week later??
and people talking like jakob isnt a world champ…lol, how stupid. he the freaking olympic champ in 3:28. olympics >>> world champs
Nuguse has a solid chance to medal in paris after not being away in 2023 WC. Humble guy and always appears to be learning what he needs to do with his comments after races.
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It’s amusing to see all the Jakob haters twisting themselves in knots to make up excuses for Kerr. Kerr was the better guy THE DAY of the WC final. He’s obviously not better than Jakob. Kerr’s overall record vs Jakob or Nuguse proves this.
Said race demonstrates how difficult it is for 1500m runners to have a long winning streak. Josh Kerr isn't like Steve Ovett in his prime. Ovett, in his prime was elite 800m to 2 miles. Ovett could take the night off from racing Thomas Wessinghage &/or Jurgen Straub. Josh Kerr is an elite 1500m runner. He either races 1500m or doesn't race at all.