In the men’s 1500-meter race at the Olympic Trials, Cole Hocker defeated the pre-race favorite to win for the second consecutive time. Hocker’s winning time of 3:30.59 beat the Trials record by 3.5 seconds.
Yared Nuguse, the current U.S. record holder, finished second in 3:30.68, with Hobbs Kessler coming in third in 3:31.53. All three men have automatic Olympic qualifying times and will thus be on the United States squad for the Paris Games.
In 2021, Hocker defeated the reigning Olympic champion, Matthew Centrowitz, in the last meters of the race. Tonight, he took the lead on the final backstretch and had a clear gap over Nuguse with 200 meters to go. Nuguse was unable to close the distance during the final half lap. Kessler, who had been sitting on Nuguse’s right shoulder for the first three laps, maintained his form in the final 100 meters to secure the final Olympic spot.\
Hocker stated that it was a “gut feeling” that led him to move with 250 meters remaining. “I went when I felt comfortable,” he added. “I’ve played that race a thousand times in my head; for it to finally happen like that was incredible.”
Slow, tactical 1500 meter championship finals are becoming increasingly rare. Nuguse grabbed command of the race almost immediately, leading at a rapid pace from the 300-meter mark until Hocker surged from third to first with around 250 meters remaining. Nuguse’s front sprinting resulted in the most competitive men’s 1500 final in US history. Hocker’s Trials record and Kessler’s time for third place are both personal bests. Overall, eight of the twelve men in the event recorded personal bests.
Nuguse was not unhappy to finish second, and he plans to try for the win in Paris. “I know I’m really fit, and even though I didn’t win today, I know in Paris, I’m going to be ready for whatever comes my way there,” according to him. “I’m going to go for it.”
Hocker’s victory shouldn’t be all that surprising. He finished sixth in the 2021 Olympic final at the age of twenty. In March, he won the 1500-meter silver medal at the World Indoor Championships. He demonstrated that his speed and endurance were well balanced by posting pre-Trials personal bests at 800 and 5,000 meters since May.
Hocker, Nuguse, and Kessler form a formidable team in one of today’s most exciting track events. They will compete in the Olympics in August against the reigning Olympic champion, Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway, as well as the two most recent world champions, Josh Kerr and Jake Wightman of Great Britain. Begin clearing your calendar now to catch the final on August 6.
