Cole Hocker put together a surging final kick to come from the middle of the pack and win gold for Team USA in the men’s 1,500-meter race at the Paris Olympics in a stunning upset.
Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the Tokyo gold medalist in 2021, led for much of the race but Hocker and Britain’s Josh Kerr moved to the front during a dramatic final lap around the Stade de France.
Kerr led as the group entered the final stretch, but was overtaken by Hocker just before the line. Yared Nuguse, another American, finished in third for bronze.
Hocker’s 3:27.65 marked an Olympic record and obliterated his personal best time by nearly three seconds.
The Indianapolis native, who finished sixth in the same event at the Olympics three years ago, had won silver at the 2024 World Indoor Championships in the 1500-meter but was not tipped to compete for gold at this race.
For much of the race, he didn’t look to be in the mix either.
It marked the third gold of the athletics competition for Team USA and its 10th and 11th medals, both of which lead the field by a healthy margin.