American Cole Hocker caused a sensation at the Olympics: victory in the 1500 meters race
8 august 2024 в 02:02
Before the final of the Olympic Games in the 1500 meters, British middle-distance runner Josh Kerr was the clear favorite, followed by his big rival in the race, superstar from Norway Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who started at a world record pace and led the race for a long time.
None of them, including the fans, expected the appearance of American middle-distance runner Cole Hocker.
Naturally, the 23-year-old athlete turned the men’s 1500 meters final upside down — creating one of the biggest surprises on the track at the Stade de France stadium, when he claimed victory over the heavily favored athletes in a final furious finish, which earned him the gold medal.
«I'm still looking for words to describe this moment», - Hocker said of his victory, in which he beat his personal record by about three seconds. «I felt the moment, I felt its magnitude».
NBC commentator Kara Goucher noted during the broadcast: «I have never seen a 1500 meter race start so fast. And everyone knows they just need to go along with it».
Yared Nuguse took the bronze.
Two Americans had not stood on the podium in the 1500 meters race at the Olympic Games since 1912.
The USA is back in middle-distance running!!!
Before the race, there were 20 instances where athletes ran 1500 meters in less than 3:28 — nine of them were by world record holder Hicham El Guerrouj from Morocco. In this final, for the first time, three people ran 3:27 in one race, not counting Ingebrigtsen, the only one who had previously broken the 3:28 barrier.
After the starting gun, Ingebrigtsen quickly took the lead with a shockingly fast pace — putting him on track for a new world record and forcing other runners to adjust their plans in real time.
But just because Hocker didn’t establish himself at the front of the pack, he couldn’t be counted out. «If Cole Hocker can stay in this», - Goucher said after the first lap, «pass his American teammates, he could spoil the fun for everyone. His finish is better than everyone else’s, but he needs to take a better position».
«The best man won that day», - Kerr said after the match. «It was an amazing race».
Ingebrigtsen said he undermined his performance by starting the final too fast.
«I started with a 54-second lap», - he said. «That was not in the plans at all. It was at least two seconds too fast. I thought about slowing down, but the next lap was almost as fast. I ruined it for myself by accelerating too much. I ruined the race for myself».
In the last three World Championships (in 2019, 2022, and 2023), there were eight different medalists in the 1500 meters race, with Kerr being the only athlete to win a medal at both the Tokyo Olympics and in Paris, improving on his bronze from three years ago. Of the 13 people who made it to the final in Tokyo, only four reached it in Paris: Ingebrigtsen, Kerr, Timothy Cheruiyot, and Hocker
None of them, including the fans, expected the appearance of American middle-distance runner Cole Hocker.
Naturally, the 23-year-old athlete turned the men’s 1500 meters final upside down — creating one of the biggest surprises on the track at the Stade de France stadium, when he claimed victory over the heavily favored athletes in a final furious finish, which earned him the gold medal.
«I'm still looking for words to describe this moment», - Hocker said of his victory, in which he beat his personal record by about three seconds. «I felt the moment, I felt its magnitude».
NBC commentator Kara Goucher noted during the broadcast: «I have never seen a 1500 meter race start so fast. And everyone knows they just need to go along with it».
Yared Nuguse took the bronze.
Two Americans had not stood on the podium in the 1500 meters race at the Olympic Games since 1912.
The USA is back in middle-distance running!!!
Before the race, there were 20 instances where athletes ran 1500 meters in less than 3:28 — nine of them were by world record holder Hicham El Guerrouj from Morocco. In this final, for the first time, three people ran 3:27 in one race, not counting Ingebrigtsen, the only one who had previously broken the 3:28 barrier.
After the starting gun, Ingebrigtsen quickly took the lead with a shockingly fast pace — putting him on track for a new world record and forcing other runners to adjust their plans in real time.
But just because Hocker didn’t establish himself at the front of the pack, he couldn’t be counted out. «If Cole Hocker can stay in this», - Goucher said after the first lap, «pass his American teammates, he could spoil the fun for everyone. His finish is better than everyone else’s, but he needs to take a better position».
«The best man won that day», - Kerr said after the match. «It was an amazing race».
Ingebrigtsen said he undermined his performance by starting the final too fast.
«I started with a 54-second lap», - he said. «That was not in the plans at all. It was at least two seconds too fast. I thought about slowing down, but the next lap was almost as fast. I ruined it for myself by accelerating too much. I ruined the race for myself».
In the last three World Championships (in 2019, 2022, and 2023), there were eight different medalists in the 1500 meters race, with Kerr being the only athlete to win a medal at both the Tokyo Olympics and in Paris, improving on his bronze from three years ago. Of the 13 people who made it to the final in Tokyo, only four reached it in Paris: Ingebrigtsen, Kerr, Timothy Cheruiyot, and Hocker
© Smirnova Olga
