SAINT-DENIS, France – American Cole Hocker pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Olympic Games history, stunning Great Britain’s Josh Kerr and Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway to win the Olympic 1,500-meter final, the most anticipated race of the Paris Games.
Hocker, the former Oregon runner, passed Kerr, the reigning World champion and pre-race co-favorite in the final 10 meters to claim the gold medal in an Olympic record of 3 minutes, 27.65 seconds.
Kerr held on for the silver medal at 3:27.79 with Yared Nuguse also passing a fading Ingebrigtsen for the bronze at 3:27.80 to 3:28.24.
It marked the first time two Americans made an Olympic 1,500 medal podium since 1912.
Hobbs Kessler, the U.S. 21-year-old, was fifth in a personal best 3:29.45.
Ingebrigtsen, the defending Olympic champion, took the lead just 105 meters into the race and led the field of 12 through the first 400 in a blistering 54.82. The Norwegian kept the heat on covering the first 800 in 1:51.38, 1,200 in 2:47.27.
But Ingebrigtsen paid for his courageous – or arrogant – front running.
Kerr passed him at the top of the home stretch and appeared headed for victory in the most anticipated Olympic 1,500 final since the 1980 showdown between Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe of Great Britain in Moscow.
But he didn’t see Hocker, sixth going into the final turn, sneaking past Ingebrigtsen on the inside. By the time the Scot saw Hocker, he couldn’t respond.
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