Jakob Ingebrigtsen has issued a tribute to his peers - including the triumphant Cole Hocker - as he opened up on missing out on a medal in the men's 1500m final at the Paris Olympics .
The sight of the American crossing the finish line at Stade de France in the race will likely prove to be one of the most enduring images of the Games. Setting a new record for the event at the Games , the 23-year-old wrote his name into his nation's history as he saw off the pre-race favorites to earn gold.
With Ingebrigtsen and Great Britain's Josh Kerr having been expected to settle their war of words with a battle for the top prize, Hocker's heroics caught many observers by surprise. With a time of 3:27.65, the Team USA star took the spoils, with Kerr settling for silver and Yared Nuguse earning bronze.
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Proceedings did not go according to script with the forecast two-horse race turning into a contest between the four aforementioned runners in a memorable scene in the French capital. After agonizingly falling short of a podium finish, Ingebrigtsen has now spoken with humility about the efforts of his rivals, saying on Instagram: "Well, I guess he did show up after all…! Hocker and Nuguse as well.
"My team always say that 'because you have a big mouth and is the one to beat, you have everything to lose in competitions'. Today, Cole Hocker , Yared Nuguse and Josh Kerr outsmarted me. They were “the best guys” when it really mattered. And I want to congratulate them all on a great performance!
He continued: "Of course, I am disappointed! Running is the ultimate sport. Everyone can participate. Everyone can set their own goals and achieve them. All you need is to show up. Not long ago, I trained alongside kids and average runners at Sandnes stadium. Today, I competed alongside one of my countrymen in an Olympic 1500 final."
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Despite coming short when it comes to the pre-race expectations, the Norwegian was still left in no doubt that his performance has set new standards for aspiring athletes in his home country. He said: "Ten years ago, no one in Norway would have believed this was possible. Until Henrik and Filip showed us all that it is.
"I sincerely want to express my gratitude and love to them and the rest of the team, and to my partners and the Norwegian athletics association and all my followers for the support this year. Thank you so much. It means a lot to me! Thank you also to all my competitors for putting on a great show today. Congratulations to the guys bringing home the medals!"
Reflecting on a potentially career-defining showing at Stade de France , race winner Hocker admitted: "It’s an unbelievable feeling. I just felt like I was getting carried by the stadium and God. My body just kind of did it for me. My mind was all there and I saw that finish line.
"Winning gold was my goal this entire year. I wrote that down and I repeated it to myself even if I didn’t believe it. My performances showed me that I was capable of running 3:27, whatever it took. I knew I was a medal contender, and I knew that if I got it right, it would be a gold medal."
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