SAINT-DENIS, France — American Cole Hocker pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Olympic Gameshistory, stunning Great Britain’s Josh Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway to win the Olympic 1,500-meter final and the most-anticipated race of the Paris Games.
Hocker, the former Oregon runner, passed Kerr, the reigning World champion and pre-race co-favorite, inthe final 10 meters to claim the gold medal in an Olympic record 3 minutes, 27.65 seconds.
Kerr held on for the silver medal at 3:27.79, with Yared Nuguse (3:27.80) also passing a fading Ingebrigtsen (3:28.24) for the bronze.
It marked the first time two Americans made an Olympic 1,500 medal podium since 1912.
Hobbs Kessler, the 21-year-old American, 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 of12 through the first 400 in a blistering 54.82. The Norwegian kept the heat on, covering the first 800 in1:51.38 and 1,200 meters 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-hypedOlympic 1,500 final since the 1980 showdown in Moscow between Great Britain’s Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe.
But Kerr didn’t see Hocker, sixth going into the final turn, sneaking past Ingebrigtsen on the inside. By thetime the Scot saw Hocker, he couldn’t respond.
More to come on this story.
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