Cole Hocker Stuns Field to Win 1500m in Olympic Record Time
Another upset win marks a second trip to the Olympics for Hocker
Hocker made Trials history for the second year in a row at the 2021 US Olympic Team Trials
Cole Hocker, a 20-year-old from Mission Viejo, California, stunned the field to win the men's 1500m final at the 2021 US Olympic Team Trials on Monday, June 24. Hocker's time of 3:30.59 set an Olympic record and was the fastest time ever run by an American at the Trials.
Hocker came from behind to win the race, passing pre-race favorite Yared Nuguse in the final 100 meters.
Hocker's win is the second straight year he has pulled off an upset at the Olympic Trials. Last year, he won the 1500m final as a 19-year-old, becoming the youngest American man to win the event at the Trials since Jim Ryun in 1964.
Hocker's win on Monday is a major upset. Nuguse, a 24-year-old from Houston, Texas, was the favorite to win the race after running the fastest time in the world this year (3:34.20). However, Hocker was able to outkick Nuguse in the final stretch to win the race.
Hocker's win is a major boost for the U.S. Olympic team. He is one of the most talented young runners in the world, and his win on Monday shows that he is ready to compete for a medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
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