On August 6, the world was on the edge of their seats. Why, you ask? Josh Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen locked horns in the much-anticipated 1500m finals at Stade de France. Fans hoped to witness either of them bag the Olympic crown. It only made sense, didn’t it? Their rivalry had been brewing for years now, and both athletes looked forward to ending the debate once and for all. But in a twist that no one anticipated, Cole Hocker snuck under the radar and beat them to the finish line.

This feat stunned the track and field work because no one saw it coming. BBC Sport commentator Steve Cram couldn’t have summed up the event any better. The former world champion reiterated how the Norwegian Olympic champion and Scottish gold medalist were too busy destroying each other, leaving just enough space for the American to move past them. However, is that how the 23-year-old felt as well? 

Months after historic win, Cole Hocker makes a confession

No one anticipated that the middle-distance runner would beat the Titans of the event to the punch. But that’s the thing about being an underdog, isn’t it? While the duo played up rivalry with some very healthy pre-race talk, Cole Hocker clinched his maiden Olympic gold in an Olympic record of 3:27.65 on the clock. This was the second win for the United States since Matthew Centrowitz pulled it off first in the 2016 Rio Games. “It was a weird feeling,” the 23-year-old confessed to NBC Sports. 

What happened to Kerr and Ingebrigtsen? Well, the former settled for a silver-place finish with a personal best time of 3:27.79, while the reigning Olympic champion missed the podium by a whisker. What were the middle-distance runner’s emotions like on the track? “The last 100m felt like the people weren’t there anymore, felt like there was four guys on the track, and that was just it’s kind of hard to put in the words,” he admitted. 

Cole Hocker may have been an underdog, but he definitely knew that he had it in the bag. However, as he surged towards the finish line, he didn’t know how to describe that feeling. “It just felt like I don’t know there was a couple guys around me like in the stadium and there was a bunch of fans watching but it just left like almost empty.” Not only did he make a bold statement with the historic upset win, but the Olympian believes it was for the best. At the end of the day, the 23-year-old couldn’t help but be grateful for the unbelievable experience. However, his glory didn’t last for long. 

Jakob Ingebrigtsen defeated the Olympic 1500m champion

The Norwegian couldn’t hold on to his Olympic title in the 1500m event. On the other hand, Ingebrigtsen surged past the finish line in 13:13.66 in the 5000m event. While many didn’t expect the rivals to lock horns anytime soon, shortly after their time in Paris, they were back on the tracks at the Lausanne Diamond League meet.

Given how Cole Hocker obliterated the field at Stade de France, he was deemed the heavy favorite in the 1500m event. But here’s the thing. The Olympic 5000m champion has a pretty stellar record in the Diamond League. His only defeat on the track happened to be at a Pre-Classic event, shortly after he recovered from an injury. In fact, he currently ranks 4th in the all-time ranking list after setting a personal record of 3:26.73 in Monaco this year.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen triumphantly surged past the Olympic 1500m champion in a blistering 3:27.83. As for Hocker? He had to settle for a second-place finish in 3:29.85 seconds. Even though he blew everyone away at the Stade de France, he hasn’t been able to break through in the top 5 in the Diamond League competition.

In a post-race interview, the 23-year-old revealed how it felt. “My second best ever, so I can’t complain,” he exclaimed. Bear in mind, this was 2 weeks after their Olympic stint. However, he did reiterate that it was a solid race. But it isn’t easy being an Olympic champion. Ingebrigtsen might have missed out on the Olympic crown, but he did put a stop to the American’s dominance. What was your favorite moment of the historic race?