American Cole Hocker shocks favorite, wins gold at Olympics

SAINT-DENIS, France − In a stunning win, Team USA’s Cole Hocker not only took the gold medal Tuesday in the men’s 1500-meter race at the Stade de France venue of the Paris Olympics, but broke the Olympic record in doing so with a time of 3:27.65.
World champion Josh Kerr of Britain won silver with a time of 3:27.79, and American Yared Nuguse took the bronze with a personal-best 3:27.80.
Hocker came from behind with a blistering pace over the final stretch to overtake Kerr, and break the Olympic record of 3:28.32 previously set at the Tokyo Games in 2021 by Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Hocker is just the fourth American to win an Olympic gold medal in the 1,500.
Team USA’s Hobbs Kessler finished fifth with a personal-best 3:29.45. Ingebrigtsen faded to fourth.
Reach Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread at [email protected]. Follow on X @chasegoodbread.
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