Team USA long-distance runner Cole Hocker won gold in the 1500m at the Paris Olympics , marking a shocking upset that surprised just about everybody in the world but himself.
The highly-anticipated 1500m was expected to be a back-and-forth duel between bitter rivals Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr, but it was Hocker who managed to cross the finish line first. After posting an Olympic record time of 3:27.65, the 23-year-old triumphantly raised his arms in the air before letting out an emphatic yell.
Great Britain’s Kerr won silver at 3:27.79, while fellow American Yared Nuguse passed Ingebrigtsen at the last moment to nab bronze with a time of 3:27.80. The reigning Olympic champion, meanwhile, was forced to settle for fourth in 3:28.24.
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Back in June, Hocker spoke his first-place finish at the Paris Games into existence. On the heels of setting an Olympic Trials record of 3:30.59 at Hayward Field, the Indianapolis-native asserted: “The goal is definitely a medal but I’m not going to limit myself to a top three. I’m going to go for gold for sure.”
While still a freshman at the University of Oregon, Hocker made his Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games, where he placed sixth in the 1500m. “In 2021 I was just happy to be there,” he conceded. “I’m very happy to be there again, but I think the bar is raised. I was very happy with sixth place in the Olympics, but now a medal is the goal.”
Upon returning to the world’s biggest stage in Paris, Hocker showcased his signature explosive kick during Friday’s 1500m heat, finishing second at Stade de France. Following the strong performance, the former Duck track star expressed confidence that he’d be able to compete with the best in the world at the final.
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“I feel like I’ve served my time, so to speak,” he said. “So I feel like I belong here. Every level, I feel like I’ve learned and adapted how to race. I finally feel like I’ve figured out the global scene a little bit, the professional side of it. And now it’s in my mind to be in that conversation for best in the world.”
Sure enough, Hocker employed an incredible final stretch on Tuesday, riding the rail before finding a crevice of space and speeding past 1500m favorites Kerr and Ingebrigtsen. On the heels of winning gold, several stars within the sports world offered him his due praise.
“That was an amazing 1500! Cole Hocker you Got me screaming my head off!” Team USA sprinter and gold-medal winner Noah Lyles wrote on X. Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III added: “USA’s Cole Hocker IS COLD BLOODED as he pulls off the MASSIVE UPSET to win Olympic Gold.”
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