The men’s 1,500 meters was one of the most anticipated events in Olympic athletics. There was a real surprise winner.
6.8. 22:10•Updated 6.8. 22:13
The men’s 1,500 meter final turned into a wildly exciting drama that ended with perhaps the biggest surprise of the Olympics.
Norway entered the competition as the absolute favorite Jakob Ingebrigtsen were bluntly left out of the medals. The USA scored a surprise victory Cole Hocker before the second favorite, the British Josh Kerr. Another American Yared Nuguse grabbed a bronze medal.
Hocker’s winning time was 3:27.65 and at the same time an Olympic record, while Ingerbrigtsen’s time was 3:28.24. Hocker is a real surprise winner, because he didn’t have any adult race medals from outdoor tracks before. Last winter in the World Championship halls, he was second by a ton.
Defending her Olympic victory, Ingebrigtsen began to press at a furious pace from the start. The Yankees and Kerr stayed behind and overtook the Norwegian on the final straight.
Ingebrigtsen has experienced bitter losses on her main journey in recent years. He had lost the WC gold in both 2022 and 2023.