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Cole Hocker

Cole Hocker (born June 6, 2001) is an American middle- and long-distance runner who specializes in the 1500 meters. He won the gold medal in the event at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, setting an Olympic record and an area record of 3:27.65.

Cole Hocker
Hocker at the Husky Invite in 2020
Personal information
Born (2001-06-06) June 6, 2001 (age 23)
Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
EducationCathedral High School
University of Oregon
Height5 ft 10 in (178 cm)[1]
Sport
CountryUnited States
SportTrack and field
Event(s)800 m, 1500 m, mile, 3000 m, 5000 m
College teamOregon Ducks
TeamNike
Turned pro2021
Coached byBen Thomas
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals
  • 2024 Paris
  • 1500 m, 1st
Personal bests
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2024 Paris 1500 m
World Indoor Championships
Silver medal – second place 2024 Glasgow 1500 m

Hocker holds multiple national titles in annual competitions organized by USA Track & Field, including four titles in the 1500 m and one title in the 3000 meters. In March 2024, he won a silver medal in the 1500 m at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. Hocker also placed sixth in the 1500 m at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and seventh at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

In high school, Hocker won several high-level competitions including the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships in 2018. Beginning in 2019, he competed for the University of Oregon, where he won four NCAA titles.[3] Hocker announced in 2021 that he would forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility to run professionally, signing with Nike.[4]

In September 2024, it was announced that Hocker signed with Michael Johnson's Grand Slam Track league for the 2025 season, in the short distance (800 m/1500 m) category.[5]

Background and youth sports

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Hocker grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana and began running competitively at a young age, recording a time of 4:36 for the mile as an eighth grader.[6] He attended Cathedral High School, where he won multiple state- and national-level races. He was second in the 2017 IHSAA Cross Country State Finals and won in '18. He finished second at the 2018 Nike Cross Nationals, and he won the 2018 Foot Locker Cross Country Championships.[7] For college, he chose the University of Oregon over offers from many other schools including Northern Arizona University and Indiana University.[8]

Collegiate competition

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Hocker (right) competes for the Oregon Ducks in 2020.

Hocker ran for the Oregon Ducks from 2019 to 2021. At the 2021 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships, he won the mile in 3:53.71 and the 3000 meters in 7:46.15.[9] Earlier that year, he ran a personal best of 3:50.55 in the mile on February 12, 2021, finishing in a close second to teammate Cooper Teare at a meet at the Randal Tyson Track Center. The two set the seventh and eighth all-time fastest performances for the indoor mile.

At the 2021 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Hocker won the 1500 meters in a time of 3:35.35, outkicking NCAA record holder Yared Nuguse. He also finished 4th in the 5000 meters in a time of 13:18.95.[10] At the 2020 United States Olympic Trials, Hocker won the 1500 m final ahead of Matthew Centrowitz and Yared Nuguse. Hocker did not have the Olympic qualifying time; however, he qualified for the Games based on his world ranking position.[11]

At the 2020 Olympic Games, Hocker placed 6th in the 1500 m with a time of 3:31.40, setting a new personal best. His time was under the Olympic Record set 2 days prior in the semifinals by Abel Kipsang of Kenya. Hocker qualified for the semifinals by running 3:36.16 for 4th in his heat. He then ran 3:33.87, then a personal best placing 2nd in his semifinal to qualify for the final.[12]

Senior competition

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2021

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On September 13, 2021, Hocker announced his decision to turn professional, forgoing his further participation on the University of Oregon team.[13] Hocker became a Nike-sponsored athlete, and continues to be based in Oregon training under coach Ben Thomas.[14] Hocker made his professional debut at the 2022 Millrose Games, where he competed in the 3,000 meter race. He ran a personal record of 7:39.83, placing third behind Geordie Beamish and teammate Cooper Teare.[15] Two weeks later at Gately Park in Chicago, in a bid for the American indoor mile record of 3:49.98, Teare and Hocker ran personal bests of 3:50.17 and 3:50.35 to place first and second.[16]

2022

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At the 2022 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Spokane, Washington, Hocker doubled in the 1,500 meter and 3,000 meter events. He earned his second and third national titles, running a meet record time of 3:39.09 in the 1500m.[17] However, he opted not to compete in the 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, turning his focus instead to the outdoor championships in July. [18] An injury at the US National Track and Field championships in June 2022, prevented him from qualifying in the 1500 m for the World Outdoor Championships.[19]

2023

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Hocker finished third at the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, qualifying him for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.[20] He placed 7th at the world championship final, en route to a new personal best of 3:30.7.[21] In September 2023, Hocker competed in the mile of the Diamond League final at the Prefontaine Classic. He did not have enough Diamond League points to qualify, but the meet organizers entered him as a national wildcard,[22] based on a rule which allows the host nation to enter an athlete who is of adequate standing in each event.[23] In the race, Hocker finished sixth in a personal best of 3:48.08,[24] the fourth fastest time ever run by an American in the mile.[25]

2024: Olympic 1500 Meter Champion

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Hocker wins the 1500m race at the 2024 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships.

In February, Hocker ran 8:05.70 in the indoor 2-mile at the Millrose Games in New York City.[26] He finished third behind compatriot Grant Fisher, who broke the American record in the event, and Scotsman Josh Kerr, who broke the world record. Hocker's time was also under the previous American record of 8:07.41 held by Galen Rupp. In the same month, Hocker won a national title in the 1500 m at the 2024 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships, setting a meeting record in 3:37.51.[27] In March, he won a silver medal for the United States in the 1500 m at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, his first finish on the podium at a global competition.[28] In May, Hocker achieved the Olympic qualifying standard in the 5000 m by running a personal best of 12:58.82 at the Los Angeles Grand Prix.[29]

In the final of the 1500 m at the 2024 Olympic Trials, Hocker took the lead from Yared Nuguse in the final 250 meters to win in a meet record and personal best of 3:30.59.[30][31] In doing so, the 23-year-old qualified for his second Olympic Games. At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, on August 6, Hocker won the 1500 meter gold medal with a new Olympic record and North American area record of 3:27.65, almost 3 seconds better than his previous personal best, overcoming the favorites Josh Kerr, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, and Yared Nuguse.[32] Hocker's time places him as the seventh fastest 1500 meter runner in history.[33] The race was highly anticipated given Ingebrigtsen's rivalry with Kerr, with World Athletics President and former middle distance runner Sebastian Coe labeling it a "race for the ages".[34] Ingebrigtsen led at a fast pace for most of the race but was passed by Kerr in the final straightaway. Ingebrigtsen ended up moving outwards, giving Hocker, who is famous for his finishing kick, an opening on the inside to pass Ingebrigtsen and Kerr to win gold.[35][36] Hocker's victory gave the United States their first gold medal in the event since 2016, when Matthew Centrowitz Jr. won at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.[35][37] It was the first time since 1912 that two Americans finished on the podium, with Nuguse securing the bronze medal.[38]

At the 2024 Lausanne Diamond League on August 22, Hocker finished second in the 1500 metres to Jakob Ingebrigtsen, in a time of 3:29.85 while Ingebrigtsen finished in a new meeting record of 3:27.83.[39] At the 2024 Weltklasse Zurich meeting on September 5, Hocker finished third in the 1500 metres, in a time of 3:30.46.[40]

Achievements

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All statistics from athlete's profile on World Athletics.[2]

Personal bests

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Surface Event Time Date Venue Notes
Outdoor track 800m 1:46.39 May 16, 2021 Katherine B. Loker Stadium, Los Angeles, United States
1500m 3:27.65 August 6, 2024 Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France OR, AR[note 1], 7th all time
One mile 3:48.08 September 16, 2023 Hayward Field, Eugene, United States 29th all time
3000m 7:42.93 August 5, 2023 AtletiekArena Gaston Roelants Kessel-Lo / Hal 5, Leuven, Belgium
5000m 12:58.82 May 17, 2024 USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix, Los Angeles, United States
Indoor track 800m 1:48.44 February 13, 2021 Randal Tyson Indoor Center, Fayetteville, United States
1500m 3:36.69 March 4, 2024 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships, Glasgow, Scotland
One mile 3:50.35 February 11, 2022 Gately Indoor TF Center, Chicago, United States 14th all time
3000m 7:39.83 January 29, 2022 Armory Track & Field Center, New York, United States
Two mile 8:05.70 February 11, 2024 Armory Track & Field Center, New York, United States 6th all time
Road One mile road[note 2] 4:08.0h June 6, 2019 Indianapolis, United States

International championships

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Representing the   United States
Year Competition Venue Position Event Time
2021 Olympic Games National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan 6th 1500m 3:31.40
2023 World Championships Nemzeti Atlétikai Központ, Budapest, Hungary 7th 1500m 3:30.70
2024 World Indoor Championships Commonwealth Arena, Glasgow, Scotland 2nd 1500m 3:36.69
Olympic Games Stade de France, Paris, France 1st 1500m 3:27.65 OR

Notes:

  1. ^ Hocker's time of 3:27.65 is currently an unratified North, Central American, and Caribbean area record, but is not the United States national record, which belongs to Bernard Lagat, who ran 3:27.40 in 2004. Lagat's time was ratified by the USATF in 2018, and Lagat ran the time a few months after becoming a naturalized American citizen, but a few weeks before representing Kenya at the 2004 Summer Olympics. While the USATF ratified Lagat's time, NACAC did not. Therefore, when ratified, Hocker's time will be the area record, while Lagat's time remains the national record.[41]
  2. ^ Hocker ran 3:51.00 on the road at the 2022 New Balance 5th Avenue Mile on September 11, 2022, which is not listed on his World Athletics profile. Source Archived December 3, 2022, at the Wayback Machine

National championships

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Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
2021 US Olympic Trials Hayward Field
Eugene, Oregon 		1st 1,500 m 3:35.28[42]
2022 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships The Podium
Spokane, Washington 		1st 3,000 m 7:47.50
1st 1,500 m 3:39.09
USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Hayward Field
Eugene, Oregon 		H1 6th 1,500 m 3:39.57
2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Hayward Field
Eugene, Oregon 		3rd 1,500 m 3:35.46
2024 US Olympic Trials Hayward Field
Eugene, Oregon 		1st 1,500 m 3:30.59
7th 5,000 m 13:20.99

References

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  1. ^ "Cole Hocker". August 6, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Cole Hocker at World Athletics
  3. ^ Cole Hocker profile at TFRRS
  4. ^ "Cathedral's Cole Hocker leaves Oregon track team to turn pro at age 20". Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  5. ^ Davern, John (September 4, 2024). "Cole Hocker and Yared Nuguse Sign With Grand Slam Track". FloTrack. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  6. ^ Woods, David (August 1, 2021). "Cole Hocker runs from obscurity to breakout career; now he'll be tested on ultimate stage". The Indianapolis Star. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  7. ^ Woods, David (December 8, 2018). "Cathedral's Cole Hocker wins national cross-country title". The Indianapolis Star. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  8. ^ Mull, Cory (January 15, 2019). "Foot Locker Nationals Winner Cole Hocker Chooses Oregon". MileSplit United States. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  9. ^ "Cole Hocker wins historic double, leads Oregon to NCAA indoor track title". IndyStar.com. March 13, 2021. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  10. ^ Gault, Jonathan (June 12, 2021). "Cole Hocker Takes Down Yared Nuguse to Win 2021 NCAA 1500 Title in a Classic". letsrun.com. LetsRun.com, LLC. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  11. ^ Goe, Ken (June 28, 2021). "Cole Hocker edges Matthew Centrowitz in electrifying 1,500 on final day of U.S. Olympic track and field trials". oregonlive.com. The Oregonian/OregonLive. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  12. ^ "Cole Hocker The Real Deal, Matthew Centrowitz OUT - Men's 1500 Semis". LetsRun.com. August 5, 2021. Archived from the original on August 5, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  13. ^ "Oregon Ducks track Olympian Cole Hocker turns pro, signs with Nike". registerguard.com. September 13, 2021. Archived from the original on September 28, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  14. ^ "Oregon Ducks track star Cole Hocker announces he's joining Nike and turning pro". The Oregonian. September 14, 2021. Archived from the original on February 13, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  15. ^ "2022 Millrose Men's Recap – Geordie Beamish Sneaks by Teare, Hoare Takes Down Kerr". LetsRun.com. January 29, 2022. Archived from the original on February 13, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  16. ^ "Cooper Teare Beats Cole Hocker Again in the Mile as Both Just Miss American Record". LetsRun.com. February 11, 2022. Archived from the original on February 13, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  17. ^ "Cole Hocker (Cathedral), Lynna Irby (Pike) run to USA indoor titles in successive races". indystar.com. February 27, 2022. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  18. ^ "Cole Hocker opts out of World Indoor Championships, turns focus to outdoor meet in Eugene". registerguard.com. March 1, 2022. Archived from the original on March 4, 2022. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  19. ^ "Injury contributes to Cole Hocker's stunning elimination from 1,500 at nationals". indystar.com. June 24, 2022. Archived from the original on September 2, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  20. ^ "World Athletics Outdoor Championships - News - Cole Hocker, Yared Nuguse to Represent U.S. in Men's 1,500-Meter Final in Budapest". www.runnerspace.com. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  21. ^ LetsRun.com (August 23, 2023). "Josh Kerr Follows His Instincts to Incredible Upset in 1500m at 2023 World Championships". LetsRun.com. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  22. ^ "DyeStat.com - News - Preview - 10 Storylines to Follow at Eugene Diamond League/Nike Prefontaine Classic 2023". www.runnerspace.com. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  23. ^ "Explainer: Wild cards in the WDL Final". IDL Diamond League. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  24. ^ "Prefontaine Classic | Results | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Archived from the original on October 14, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  25. ^ LetsRun.com (September 16, 2023). "Jakob Ingebrigtsen (3:43.73) Tops Yared Nuguse (3:43.97) in Epic 2023 Bowerman Mile". LetsRun.com. Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  26. ^ Kotajarvi, Ryan (February 11, 2024). "Cole Hocker Runs Historic 2-Mile at 2024 Millrose Games". MileSplit Indiana. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  27. ^ Woods, David (February 17, 2024). "It's an Olympic year, and Cole Hocker put folks on notice after dominant national title". The Indianapolis Star. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  28. ^ LetsRun.com (March 3, 2024). "Geordie Beamish Wins Indoor 1500m Gold as Americans Cole Hocker and Hobbs Kessler Get Silver and Bronze". LetsRun.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  29. ^ Dennehy, Cathal (May 18, 2024). "LA Grand Prix Day 1: Selemon Barega & Elle St Pierre Win 5000s As Ceili McCabe Breaks Canadian Steeple Record". LetsRun.com. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  30. ^ Odem, Joel (June 24, 2024). "Live updates, results: Day 4 of U.S. Olympic trials for track and field". Oregon Live. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  31. ^ Woods, David. "Cole Hocker smashes Olympic Trials record: 'I'm going to go for the gold, for sure'". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  32. ^ Woods, David. "Stunner! Cole Hocker storms back on final stretch for gold medal in 1,500 meters run". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  33. ^ "1500 Metres - men - senior - all". worldathletics.org. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  34. ^ Majendie, Matt (August 6, 2024). "Kerr and Ingebrigtsen set for 'race for the ages' in 1500m final". Evening Standard. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  35. ^ a b "MEN'S 1500M FINAL RESULTS".
  36. ^ NBC Sports (August 6, 2024). American Cole Hocker pulls off a STUNNER in men's 1500m Olympic final | Paris Olympics | NBC Sports. Retrieved August 6, 2024 – via YouTube.
  37. ^ "Hocker in a Shocker: Cole Hocker wins Olympic 1500m crown | NBC Olympics". www.nbcolympics.com. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  38. ^ Svrluga, Barry (August 7, 2024). "Column | A fast start, a daring kick and Cole Hocker's show-stealing 1,500 gold". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  39. ^ null (August 23, 2024). "Cole Hocker's Stunning 1,500m Olympic Victory Shocks Favorites Kerr and Ingebrigtsen". TIMES24X7. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  40. ^ "Weltklasse Zürich Results – 2024 Zürich Diamond League Results".
  41. ^ Merber, Kyle (June 21, 2023). "Explaining Yared Nuguse's 1500m American Record". Citius Magazine.
  42. ^ "Men's 1,500 Meters". TFRRS.org. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
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