IT WAS A RACE to forever remember, and Jakob Ingebrigtsen made it happen, even though his bold plan backfired and he was left without a medal. Instead, Cole Hocker celebrated after a stunning inside stretch run that led to gold in an Olympic Record in the best U.S. team finish in over 100 years.
A dream field lined up on a balmy night in the Stade de France — the defending champion from Tokyo in Ingebrigtsen; the ’21 silver medalist in Timothy Cheruiyot; the ’23 world champion in Josh Kerr; plus three Americans, all of them medalists at the World Indoor. Of sub 3:30 runners, there were 6 — a number that would have been unimaginable in the pre-supershoes era.
Ingebrigtsen shot to the lead before the end of the first 100, killing any suspense about what kind of race we would see; the only mystery was how it would turn out. With a recent PR of 3:26.73, the fastest in the field by more than a second-and-a-half, the Norseman ostensibly had an advantage, though most of his best times have come with pacers and wavelights. Deciding to be his own rabbit was a bold, and dangerous, move.
Behind him, the field strung out in almost single file: Kenya’s Brian Komen, Kerr, Cheruiyot, and Americans Hobbs Kessler and Yared Nuguse. Hocker ran farther back, but before the end of the first lap moved to join his teammates.
A sobering 54.82 for the opening lap showed just how committed Ingebrigtsen was to his plan. His second circuit took just 56.56, passing 800 in 1:51.38. That was enough for Komen, who hit a wall and started slowing, creating an obstruction as the field had to flow around him. That’s when Hocker chose to move, blocking Kessler’s momentum just as he was trying to get past the fading Kenyan.
Ingebrigtsen kept his foot on the gas, passing 1000 in 2:19.4. At the bell in 2:34.3, the top 3 mirrored the Tokyo podium: Ingebrigtsen, Cheruiyot and Kerr. They were followed by the three Americans, Nuguse, Hocker and Kessler. At 1200, the clock read 2:47.27 as Kerr moved to pass Cheruiyot. Hocker challenged Nuguse, and the two moved past the Kenyan before the end of the backstretch.
With 200 to go, Ingebrigtsen shot a look over his shoulder only to experience the déjà vu of seeing Kerr coming on fast. He held him off around the curve, while Hocker tried to get by them both on the inside, only to have his way blocked as he put his hand on the leader’s back. On the straight, Ingebrigtsen’s hopes shattered. Kerr flew past on the outside, Hocker on the inside. A few strides later Nuguse charged past.
Hocker crossed with arms raised in victory, his 3:27.65 breaking Ingebrigtsen’s Olympic Record of 3:28.32 from Tokyo. Kerr ran a British record 3:27.79 to barely hold off Nuguse’s 3:27.80 for the silver. Ingebrigtsen would be 4th in 3:28.45. Kessler PRed at 3:29.45 in 5th to top Dutch teen Niels Laros and his national record 3:29.54.
It was, in every respect, the fastest and deepest Olympic 1500 ever. It was also the closest, with all three medalists within 0.15. Hocker, Kerr and Nuguse moved to places 7-8-9 on the all-time list. The U.S. team finish of 1-3-5 was its best since 1912, and the three moved to places 1-2-4 on the U.S. all-time list.
All of that brings up another recordkeeping issue. Hocker’s 3:27.65 is the fastest American time ever per our reckoning, but USATF recognizes Bernard Lagat’s 3:27.40 as the American Record, a mark set in 2004 between his winning the Kenyan Trials and taking silver in the Olympics wearing a Kenyan uniform.
Hocker’s last 400 took just 53.4, his last 800 1:49.6 — mind-boggling numbers after such a fast start. He said, “I took full advantage of everything. I wasn’t thinking with 150m to go that I’m going to run a fast time, I was thinking I’m going to win. That’s what it came down to.
“I feel like I’ve lived that scenario a lot of times in real life, racing people and trying to kick people down and this time it just happened to be the Olympic final. I’m still trying to figure out how to comprehend that.”
“Bittersweet” is how Kerr described it, adding, “but it was a heck of a race and that’s what we promised. We’ve shown we were the best three on the day today.”
Nuguse, who was on the Tokyo team but couldn’t run because of injury, said, “Getting that taken away from me stung for a long time. I know I’m strong enough to be up there with the best. It’s such a huge moment of redemption for me.”
MEN’S 1500 RESULTS
FINAL (August 06)
(temperature 73F/23C; humidity 47%)
1. Cole Hocker (US) 3:27.65 (7, x W; 1, 1 A) (OR)
(55.6, 56.6 [1:52.2], 55.8 [2:48.0], 39.6) (13.1, 26.4, 39.7, 53.4, 1:49.7, 2:45.7);
2. Josh Kerr (GB) 3:27.79 NR (8, x W)
(55.1, 56.7 [1:51.8], 55.8 [2:47.6], 40.1) (13.2, 26.6, 40.1, 53.9, 1:50.1, 2:46.4);
3. Yared Nuguse (US) 3:27.80 PR (9, x W; 2, 2 A)
(55.5, 56.6 [1:52.1], 55.9 [2:48.0], 39.8) (13.0, 26.3, 39.8, 53.7, 1:49.9, 2:46.3);
4. Jakob Ingebrigtsen (Nor) 3:28.24
(54.9, 56.6 [1:51.5], 55.8 [2:47.3], 40.9) (13.8, 27.3, 40.9, 54.7, 1:50.9, 2:47.1);
5. Hobbs Kessler (US) 3:29.45 PR (4, 7 A)
(55.3, 56.7 [1:52.0], 56.2 [2:48.2], 41.2) (14.0, 27.5, 41.2, 54.9, 1:51.6, 2:47.9);
6. Niels Laros (Neth) 3:29.54 NR (2, 2 WJ)
(56.4, 56.0 [1:52.4], 56.0 [2:48.4], 41.1) (14.0, 27.5, 41.1, 54.8, 1:51.2, 2:47.1);
7. Narve Gilje Nordås (Nor) 3:30.46
(13.5, 27.1, 41.0, 54.8, 1:51.7, 2:47.7);
8. Pietro Arese (Ita) 3:30.74 NR
(13.4, 27.2, 41.1, 54.8, 1:51.9, 2:48.7);
9. Stefan Nillessen (Neth) 3:30.75 PR
(13.3, 27.0, 40.8, 54.7, 1:51.7, 2:47.8);
10. Neil Gourley (GB) 3:30.88
(13.7, 27.6, 41.8, 55.7, 1:52.3);
11. Timothy Cheruiyot (Ken) 3:31.35
(15.1, 29.7, 43.7, 57.6, 1:53.9);
12. Brian Komen (Ken) 3:35.59
(16.0, 30.9, 45.0, 59.4, 1:58.1).
(best-ever mark-for-place 3-4, 11)
HEATS (August 02)
I–1. Kerr 3:35.83; 2. Komen 3:36.31; 3. Nordås 3:36.41; 4. Anass Essayi (Mor) 3:36.44; 5. Nuguse 3:36.56; 6. Robert Farken (Ger) 3:36.62; 7. Jochem Vermeulen (Bel) 3:36.66; 8. Samuel Pihlström (Swe) 3:36.80; 9. Cathal Doyle (Ire) 3:37.82; 10. Mario García (Spa) 3:37.90; 11. Filip Rak (Pol) 3:38.12; 12. Ryan Mphahlele (SA) 3:38.48; 13. Olli Hoare (Aus) 3:39.11; 14. Abdisa Fayisa (Eth) 3:39.67; 15. Ossama Meslek (Ita) 3:39.96.
II–1. Ermiyas Girma (Eth) 3:35.21; 2. Hocker 3:35.27; 3. Arese 3:35.30; 4. Laros 3:35.38; 5. Cheruiyot 3:35.39; 6. Isaac Nader (Por) 3:35.44; 7. Marius Probst (Ger) 3:35.65; 8. Luke McCann (Ire) 3:35.73; 9. Adel Mechaal (Spa) 3:35.81; 10. George Mills (GB) 3:35.99; 11. Stewart McSweyn (Aus) 3:36.55; 12. Ruben Verheyden (Bel) 3:36.62; 13. Tshepo Tshite (SA) 3:36.87; 14. Charles Philibert-Thiboutot (Can) 3:36.92; 15. Mael Gouyette (Fra) 3:37.87.
III–1. Nillessen 3:36.77; 2. Kessler 3:36.87; 3. Ingebrigtsen 3:37.04; 4. Raynold Cheruiyot (Ken) 3:37.12; 5. Gourley 3:37.18; 6. Samuel Tefera (Eth) 3:37.34; 7. Ignacio Fontes (Spa) 3:37.50; 8. Adam Spencer (Aus) 3:37.68; 9. Azeddine Habz (Fra) 3:37.95; 10. Kieran Lumb (Can) 3:38.11; 11. Raphael Pallitsch (Aut) 3:38.20; 12. Maciej Wyderka (Pol) 3:38.79; 13. Samuel Tanner (NZ) 3:39.87; 14. Federico Riva (Ita) 3:41.78; 15. Andrew Coscoran (Ire) 3:42.07.
REPECHAGE (August 03)
I–1. Doyle 3:34.92; 2. Habz 3:35.10; 3. Meslek 3:35.32; 4. Tshite 3:35.35; 5. Lumb 3:35.76; 6. Vermeulen 3:36.14; 7. McCann 3:36.50; 8. Probst 3:36.54; 9. Wyderka 3:36.79; 10. Fayisa 3:36.82; 11. García 3:37.01; 12. McSweyn 3:37.49; 13. Pallitsch 3:39.32.
II–1. Riva 3:32.84 PR; 2. Philibert-Thiboutot 3:33.53; 3. Mills 3:33.56; 4. Pihlström 3:33.58 PR; 5. Hoare 3:34.00; 6. Spencer 3:34.45; 7. Rak 3:34.53; 8. Fontes 3:35.04; 9. Gouyette 3:35.42; 10. Verheyden 3:36.06; 11. Mphahlele 3:36.64; 12. Coscoran 3:39.45; 13. Tanner 3:40.71; 14. Mechaal 3:42.79.
SEMIS (August 04)
I–1. Ingebrigtsen 3:32.38; 2. Kerr 3:32.46; 3. Hocker 3:32.54; 4. Komen 3:32.57; 5. Nillessen 3:32.73 PR; 6. Arese 3:33.03; 7. Farken 3:33.35; 8. Nader 3:34.75; 9. Riva 3:35.26; 10. Cheruiyot 3:35.32; 11. Mills 3:37.12; 12. Girma 3:40.27.
II–1. Nuguse 3:31.72; 2. Kessler 3:31.97; 3. Gourley 3:32.11; 4. Laros 3:32.22; 5. Cheruiyot 3:32.30; 6. Nordås 3:32.34; 7. Essayi 3:32.49 PR (fastest non-Q ever); 8. Meslek 3:32.77 PR; 9. Tefera 3:33.02; 10. Doyle 3:33.15 PR; 11. Philibert-Thiboutot 3:33.29; 12. Habz 3:34.35.
