Cole Hocker stole the show at the Paris Olympics, becoming an overnight sensation in the 1500m. The pre-race buzz? All about Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr‘s epic track and field rivalry, with World Athletics president Sebastian Coe hyping it up as a “race for the ages.” But no one saw what was coming next. Ingebrigtsen led the charge, Kerr made his move, and then—plot twist—the Norwegian swung wide, leaving a golden pathway for Hocker on the inside. Hocker snatched victory, giving the U.S. its first 1500m gold since 2016. The hype around his future soared after that epic win, but the results since then haven’t quite matched the Paris magic.

After his golden moment, Cole Hocker returned to compete again at the Lausanne Diamond League with eyes on another gold medal. However, he could only manage a second-place finish after a brilliant performance by Jakob Ingebrigtsen, clocking a time of 3:27.83. On the other hand, Hocker could only manage 3:29.85 despite leading for most of the race. He only started to stutter during the last 200 meters, costing him the title. After this, he slipped to third in the Zurich Diamond League, with Yared Nuguse and Jakob Ingebrigtsen taking the first two spots. Now, this trend seems to have continued in the Brussels Diamond League final.

Cole Hocker finished third yet again in the final DL. The 1500-meter track and field star clocked a time of 3:30.94. He came behind Norwegian star Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot. For most of the race, he stayed behind those two athletes without really threatening to overtake them. After the race, he talked about his struggles running as an Olympic gold medalist and how he hasn’t fully recovered from the achievement yet.

Cole Hocker said, “The goal is always to win, but after the Olympics, I didn’t have time to process everything. I haven’t been back to the States yet, so I’m looking forward to seeing everyone back. This was my third race after Paris, and I knew it was going to be a lot. But I’m happy with how I ran today, and it’s good preparing for next season because I almost became the Olympic champion overnight. So it felt like a baptism by fire, but I dreamed of it for so long, so happy every race to follow.”

Hocker had raised similar complaints after the Lausanne Diamond League race, too, where he finished second. He talked about how it has been mentally challenging for him to cope with being named an Olympic champion. He said, “I think that was really good considering such an overwhelming past two weeks. You know, physically recovering is one thing, but my mental was, this is my first time racing since being announced as Olympic champion. I feel the pressure already, but I’m excited for how that’s going to push me like how I saw tonight.”

But if Cole Hocker has long-term ambitions of being best in his category, he must shake off the pressure and challenges that he seems to have inherited from the Olympic gold. He would also need to be in his best form next season because he has signed up for an exciting new competition.

Cole Hocker has signed up for Michael Johnson’s track event!

Cole Hocker was announced as a new signing by Grand Slam Track on the fourth of September in their 1500m category. The Michael Johnson-backed competition wanted to capitalize on his newfound popularity after winning the Olympic gold. He was announced alongside bronze medalist Yared Nuguse. The American athlete had also performed brilliantly, overtaking Ingebrigtsen in the dying moments of the race. The athletes were two of the three prominent track stars the organization has added to its roster. Olympic silver medalist Josh Kerr had already signed before Paris.

Talking about the signings, Michael Johnson said, “Everyone watching the 1500m final in Paris was blown away by the drama of that race, with Cole and Yared ultimately taking home Gold and Bronze. Adding both of them to our stable of Racers, including Silver medalist Josh Kerr, gives us the incredibly exciting confirmation of seeing that Olympic final again four times in 2025.” Thus, this is a great opportunity for Cole Hocker to prove his worth as an athlete. The fact that a $100,000 prize money is on the line also makes the whole thing more enticing. What do you think? Can Cole Hocker bounce back and win the Grand Slam track in 2025?