American Cole Hocker shocked the Olympic track-and-field world on Tuesday night by defeating favorites Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr in the fiercely competitive 1,500 meters.
In a race anticipated to highlight a fierce rivalry, it was Hocker, a relatively unknown American runner, who emerged as the unexpected victor, clinching the gold medal with a time of 3 minutes, 27.65 seconds, setting a new Olympic record and surpassing his previous personal best by nearly three seconds.
“If you’ve been following my season, you knew I was capable of it,” Hocker said. “But still, things had to go my way today.”
Hocker capitalized on the fast pace set by Ingebrigtsen, a defending Olympic champion. Over the final 300 meters, Hocker surged from fifth place to first, overtaking the seemingly exhausted favorites.
This race was meant to be a showdown between Ingebrigtsen, the reigning Olympic champion, and Kerr, the current world champion. Kerr had even described the contest as “one of the most vicious and hardest 1,500s the sport’s seen in a very long time.” Instead, it was the 23-year-old Hocker, a 30-1 underdog, who took home the $50,000 winner’s prize, while Kerr finished just behind in second place by 0.14 seconds. American Yared Nuguse claimed third, and Ingebrigtsen finished fourth.
Hocker described the atmosphere in the Stade de France, filled with 80,000 roaring fans, as “deafening” and said, “I kind of lost feeling in my body and it didn’t feel like the Olympics anymore until it did.”
In a later event, Gabby Thomas solidified her status as a favorite by winning the 200-meter race in 21.83 seconds, outpacing 100-meter champion Julien Alfred by 0.25 seconds.
Hocker’s victory is particularly significant as he becomes only the second American man to win gold in the 1,500 meters at the Olympics in the last 112 years, with Matt Centrowitz being the other in 2016.
The spotlight leading up to the race was largely on Ingebrigtsen, who had a strong motivation to prove himself after a year of rivalry with Kerr, who accused him of relying on pacesetters during races, a tactic not permitted at the Olympics.
During the race, Ingebrigtsen led for a majority of the laps, while Kerr positioned himself for a late surge. However, Hocker’s late charge was the defining moment of the race, managing to pass both competitors with a remarkable finish.
After crossing the finish line, Hocker celebrated his win, acknowledging the pressure both favorites faced. “They’ve had all this added pressure and all that and noise,” he said. “This job is blocking out that noise and it gets harder and harder the more you excel.”
Kerr praised Hocker’s performance, calling it “the best the Olympics has ever seen,” and noted his resolve to improve moving forward.
While this race showcased a significant upset, attention will soon shift to another notable rivalry in track and field. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol, the top competitors in the women’s 400-meter hurdles, will face off in the upcoming Olympic final, after both advanced easily through their semifinals.
In men’s 400-meter semifinals, Kirani James, the 2012 Olympic champion, had the fastest time, while American Quincy Hall and Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith also secured wins in their heats. Notably, defending champion Steven Gardiner withdrew from the competition due to injury concerns.
Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece achieved his second consecutive gold medal in the men’s long jump, and Canada’s Camryn Rogers won gold in the hammer throw, following her previous victory at the world championships. Annette Echikunwoke of the U.S. earned the silver medal in the same event.