Runner who has been training in Blacksburg qualifies for Olympic semifinals

Cole Hocker took another step Friday toward qualifying for the men’s 1,500-meter run at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Hocker, an Indiana native and former NCAA champion at the University of Oregon, now lives in Blacksburg where he trains under Virginia Tech track and field coach Ben Thomas.

Hocker placed second in his heat with the second-fastest time of all 45 runners in 3 minutes, 35.27 seconds. Ethiopia’s Ermias Girma won the heat in 3:35.21. Hocker set a U.S. Olympic Trials record of 3:30.59 on June 24 to qualify for his second Olympics 1,500.

All three American runners qualified for Sunday’s semifinals. Hobbs Kessler placed second in his heat in 3:36.87, while Yared Nuguse was fifth in his heat in 3:36.56.

Defending Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway placed third in his heat in 3:37.04.

Great Britain’s Josh Kerr won his heat in 3:35.83.

The 1,500-meter semifinals are scheduled for 3:15 p.m. EDT Sunday.

The final is set for 2:50 p.m. Tuesday.

See our previous story on Hocker.

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