USA's Cole Hocker, Yared Nuguse close strong for gold, bronze in Men's 1500m run at 2024 Olympics

The United States won the gold and the silver medal in the men’s 1500 meter race at the Paris Olympics, with Cole Hocker and Yared Nuguse managing to make it to the podium.

This was the first time the United States had two medalists in the 1500m run at the Olympics in 112 years.

For the majority of the race, the Americans trailed the favorites to win. However, after running as a group, the Americans made their move on the final lap with Hocker passing both Josh Kerr of Great Britain and Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway on the inside to take first.

USA’s Cole Hocker IS COLD BLOODED as he pulls off the MASSIVE UPSET to win Olympic Gold in the 1500m in Paris.

Yared Nuguse took Bronze.

Two Americans haven’t been on the podium of the 1500m at the Olympics since 1912.

USA Middle Distance IS BACK!!!
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— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) August 6, 2024

In the process, Hocker also set the Olympic record with a time of 3:27.65 in the race.

For his part, Yared Nuguse ended up in a photo finish for silver with Josh Kerr. In the end, it was bronze, with Nuguse running 3:27.80 compared to 3:27.79 for Kerr.

Ingebrigtsen was the defending gold medalist in the 1500m. He was expected to be back on the podium, competing primarily with Kerr for gold. However, the Americans crashed the party in one of the biggest surprises that the track has seen to this point in the Olympics.

Cole Hocker is an Indiana native who competed for the Oregon Ducks while he was in college. He turned professional in 2021 and has been one of the top American distance runners during his professional career. The Paris Olympics are his second trip to the Olympics. He finished in sixth place in the 1500m during the Tokyo Games.

At the Olympic Trials for Paris, Hocker ran a then-personal best time of 3:30.59 to surpass Nuguse and win.

For his part, Yared Nuguse had qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in the 1500m as well. However, a quad injury kept him from competing in them. He came back strong, running a 3:30.86 at the Olympic Trials. That was good for second there and landed him on the team once again.

Prior to his professional career, Nuguse was a star on the Notre Dame team, competing both indoors and outdoors for the Irish.

In the 1500m Nuguse appeared to be too far out to catch the leaders, especially given that the top of the pack were the favorites to end up on the podium. However, he was able to kick, just like Hocker did, and was able to get to the outside to pass the Norwegian Ingebrigtsen. In the process, he set a personal best time and pushed Kerr to his limit as well.

Along with Hocker and Nuguse, Hobbs Kessler of the United States was also in the final. He finished fifth.