Latest news with #ColeHocker
NBC Sports
2 days ago
- General
- NBC Sports
Cole Hocker wants to follow Olympic gold with two more career firsts in 2025
Naturally, Cole Hocker wants to follow his 2024 Olympic gold medal by taking the world title this September, but that's not his only goal this summer. Hocker, who last Aug. 6 became the second American in the last 116 years to win an Olympic 1500m, was asked what would make 2025 a successful follow-up campaign. 'World champion,' he said without hesitation. 'That's, without a doubt, the goal. To go back to back in what I think is one of the most competitive eras that the 1500m has ever seen, that would make it a success without a doubt. Obviously, fast times are always in the cards, and I want to run fast, but most importantly, I want to win.' Beyond winning, the 23-year-old has sights set on another event. 'Also making the U.S. team in the 5k alongside the 1500m, I think that would be a huge step in the right direction for my career,' said Hocker, who was seventh in the Olympic Trials 5000m in his fifth total race of that meet. No American has competed in both the 1500m and 5000m at an Olympics or World Championships since Bernard Lagat, who won both events at the 2007 Worlds and took silver and bronze in 2009. Elle St. Pierre did qualify for both events for the 2024 Paris Games but dropped the 5000m to focus on the 1500m. To make his double happen, Hocker will most likely have to place in the top three in both events at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships from July 31-Aug. 3 at his old college home in Eugene, Oregon. Unlike Olympic Trials, he would only have to race three times at nationals. In the 1500m, the U.S. has developed depth over the last few years, just as the world has. At nationals, Hocker must deal with Olympic bronze medalist Yared Nuguse, Hobbs Kessler (fifth in Paris) and possibly emerging talents like Jonah Koech, who won a Diamond League race last week. In the 5000m, Olympic bronze medalist Grant Fisher was the lone American to finish in the top eight at either the 2023 Worlds or the Paris Games. Hocker, who trains under Virginia Tech coach Ben Thomas, will be race tested like never before thanks to the new Grand Slam Track series. He has faced both Nuguse and Olympic silver medalist Josh Kerr of Great Britain at three meets already this season. Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the Tokyo Olympic champion, hasn't raced since March 23 while recovering from an Achilles injury. In six total 1500m races since Paris, Hocker has finished second, third, third, third, third and second. Hocker's gold medal — won with a kick from third place in the last 100 meters — sits on a dresser in his room. No fancy display case. 'From what I've experienced and what I've gotten, you put feelings and emotions onto this object,' he said. 'I try to detach myself from that and just let it be a mark of what a beautiful season I put together. Look at the full season as almost like a work of art. That was a perfect season for me. So I feel like the gold medal for me is just that all encapsulated into an object, but I hate to give any object too much value.' Nick Zaccardi,
Independent Singapore
3 days ago
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Josh Kerr of Great Britain got his Olympic 1500-m payback by winning the Grand Slam Track meet
Photo: U.S.A: Great Britain's Josh Kerr got his payback against Cole Hocker as he won a thrilling 1500-m race at the Grand Slam Track meet. The 27-year-old athlete had previously lost to the American at the 2024 Paris Olympics last August, where Hocker won the gold medal. However, Kerr now made his comeback. At the race, he made his move in the final meters of the race and overtook Hocker to win by 0.07 seconds. He successfully crossed the line in a season-best time of 3 minutes and 34.44 seconds, solidifying his name as a top contender in the tournament. Furthermore, Kerr also finished fifth in the 800-m event and narrowly missed out on the $100,000 (£74,000 or S$137,000) top prize for the short-distance category. Unfortunately, he lost by just one point to Canada's Marco Arop, who won the 800-m category. In a social media post shared by World Athletics, it stated: 'Living up to the hype 🫡…🇬🇧's @joshhkerr wins the 1500m in a battle to the line against Olympic champ @colehocker with 3:34.44 😳' Netizens commented on the post and said: 'Josh Kerr continues to impress me each race. He's such a competitor. I'm really glad to see that he's been racing more now that the grand slam track is a thing this year,'@joshhkerr was running in Beast Mode for this race and it is nearly impossible to win a race against anyone who is running in Beast Mode. Steve Prefontaine ran in Beast Mode all the time. @colehocker made this a great race that was right down to the wire. I love watching the best runners in the world getting after it and giving it their absolute best! We are entering the Golden Era of Track! So exciting! Let's go ! ❤️🔥,' and 'Best runner of the generation.' Other tournament updates In the women's 100-m category, American Melissa Jefferson-Wooden gained victory by clinching the fastest time in the world this year. The Olympic bronze medallist ran a personal best of 10.73 seconds. With this, she becomes the 10th fastest woman ever over the distance, together with France's Christine Arron. More so, American Tamari Davis finished second in the women's 100-m race with a final time of 11.03 seconds. Great Britain's Dina Asher-Smith placed fifth with a time of 11.16 seconds. Moving on to the men's long sprints group, Great Britain's Matthew Hudson-Smith won for the second time in three meets. The 30-year-old athlete won the 400-m race with a final time of 44.51 seconds, and he also placed fifth in the 200-m race. His performance was enough to earn him another Grand Slam title. The Grand Slam Track is a new tournament made by Olympic legend Michael Johnson. This aims to bring together the world's fastest athletes to compete for titles and prizes.
Forbes
01-04-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Which Men's Athletes Are Racing Grand Slam Track? GST Looks To Have Perfect Start In Kingston
PARIS, FRANCE - AUGUST 06: Cole Hocker of Team United States celebrates winning the gold medal after ... More the Men's 1500m Final on day eleven of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on August 06, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by) We are just days away from the debut of Grand Slam Track, the new track league hoping to shake up the way fans watch the sport of track and field. Of course, there will be no field events here, but league founder and commissioner Michael Johnson, a 4-time Olympic gold medalist who at one-time held the world record for 200 and 400 meters, is hoping a new format and the globe's biggest stars will draw more than its fair share of storylines and create a blueprint for success down the road. The first installment of Grand Slam Track will take place in Kingston, Jamaica, and will feature action on a brand-new resurfaced track at National Stadium from April 4-6. Viewers can stream the entire series on Peacock over three days, while The CW will carry the meet on April 5-6 for U.S. audiences on a linear network. What are the top storylines on the men's side? We have you covered. GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - MARCH 3: Bryce Hoppel of the United States celebrates as he crosses the finish ... More line first in the Mens 800m Final during day three of the World Athletics Indoor Championships at Emirates Arena on March 3, 2024 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by) One of the league's strongest event groupings is in its short distance category, where every single Olympic medalist at 1,500 meters will take part and two of three from the mens' 800 meter medal stand will also feature. This is where things will get interesting in Jamaica. Olympic 1,500 meter gold medalist Cole Hocker ran an Olympic-record of 3:27.65 to win in Paris over Great Britain's Josh Kerr and the U.S.'s Yared Nuguse, but he's no slouch at 800 meters, either, holding a personal best of 1:45.63 from just last year. The men's 1,500 meters will take place on Saturday at 6:50 p.m. EST, while the 800 meter final will follow on Sunday at 3:39 p.m. Given that this is largely everyone's outdoor opener in 2025—Canada's Marco Arop will be the only athlete who has raced on an outdoor track ahead of the competition—that could equal out the playing field across distances. But then again, with $100,00 on the line for the winner, we may not see conservative racing, either. The American Bryce Hoppel, who finished fourth in the Olympic final at 800 meters, will enter having clocked the world's third-fastest time of the year at the distance from February, when he finished second in at the Millrose Games in 1:44.19. Nuguse, meanwhile, went out and broke a world record in the mile in that same venue, hitting 3:46.63 on the clock to win the Wanamaker Mile–until, of course, it only lasted five days, with Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen breaking it in France in 3:45.14. Ultimately, it will be curious to see how the world's best men toggle between distances. Hocker, Kerr and Nuguse went 1-2-3 in the men's 1,500 meters in Paris and ran some of the top performances of all-time. What's the winning formula here? There's no doubt any of them can't hold their own in the 800 meters. But when push comes to shove, will any of the metric mile specialists hold a candle to men who can spit out times of 1:41 for two laps? None has broken 1:45 over their careers. So that's where things get trickier. Kenya's Wanyonyi and Canada's Arop were absolutely devilish in the Olympic final, the pair both dropping sub-1:42 times en route to their 1-2 finish. With so much money on the line for first-place finishers – and a total of $80,000 for second through third – it's not simply a matter of racing competitively. Livelihoods could change with two great performances on the track in Kingston Stadium. TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 01: Fred Kerley of Team United States reacts after finishing second in the ... More Men's 100m Final on day nine of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on August 01, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by) BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - AUGUST 19: Oblique Seville of Team Jamaica reacts prior to heat 5 in the Men's ... More 100m during day one of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023 at National Athletics Centre on August 19, 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by) With the absecences of Olympic 100 meter gold medalist Noah Lyles and Olympic silver medalist Kishane Thompson, the men's short sprints category will be without two of its biggest stars. Instead, only two Olympic medalists will feature this weekend across the 100 and 200 meters—the Americans Fred Kerley (100 meters) and Kenny Bednarek (200 meters). But that just opens the door for new stars to emerge. Kerley should be the main attraction. The Texas native opened his 2025 outdoor season this past weekend at the Texas Relays, contributing his part in two 4x100 and 4x400 relays on the final day of action in Austin. Over his history, he's been one of the world's most electric sprinters, holding personal records of 9.76 in the 100 meters and 19.76 for 200 meters. He ran 9.81 in Paris to finish third overall in the Olympic final and earn his second straight medal, while he finished the year in September in Switzerland at 200 meters, clocking a time of 19.81. But he's also arriving following some controversy in the offseason. Kerley was booked by the Miami Beach police in January after an altercation and was handed charges after he was involved in a physical confrontation with officers. Kerley pled not guilty in February and awaits further information as his situation plays out. Kerley may be able to internalize his off-the-track situation, but he'll also have to contend with the likes of Bednarek and Jamaica's Oblique Seville. The duo finished seventh and eight in the 100 meters in Paris, while Bednarek was a silver medalist in the 200 meters. Which brings us to the structure of Grand Slam Track, and how that may serve more well-rounded athletes. It might suit someone like Bednarek perfectly, as he's the kind of athlete who can produce across distances with relative ease. The Wisconsin native has run personal best times of 9.87 and 19.5 over the two disciplines, which arguably makes him one of the favorites to walk away with the short sprints title. Then again, points matter, and if Bednarek doesn't win, he might be out of the running for a major prize. Seville will be a hometown favorite. The Jamaican, along with Ackeem Blake, should get fans in Kingston rooting for the sprinters to vie for titles across each distance. Just last year, Seville ran 9.82 in the Jamaica Championships to win a national title. MUNICH, GERMANY - AUGUST 17: Matthew Hudson-Smith of Great Britain celebrates after winning gold in ... More the Men's 400m Final during the Athletics competition on day 7 of the European Championships Munich 2022 at Olympiapark on August 17, 2022 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by) Grand Slam Track announced a total of 10 scratches for the opener this weekend in Jamaica, including Olympic 400 meter gold medalist Quincy Hall. The news was a gut-punch for a league that's hoping for its first weekend to go perfectly, but in truth it was also not shocking. It becomes unsuitable for athletes to race less than 100 percent when their careers are on the line, and with contracts and performance incentives all tied to performing in meets across the year – running with a nagging issue could ultimately create a larger problem, which is why scratches are a smart play. It hurts no less to see Hall, one of the sport's best watches, out of the field. In his place comes a new challenger, the Jamaican Deandre Watkin. But the long sprints—a category featuring the 200 and 400 meters distances—is one of the deeper categories at Grand Slam Track, with Olympic silver and bronze medalists Matthew Hudson-Smith and Muzala Samukonga both taking part. The Great Britain athlete Hudson-Smith clocked 43.44 in Paris to earn his first medal, while Samukonga had a crazy finish of his own to net a time of 43.74. The wildcard here might be the American Chris Bailey, who just earned a World Championship gold medal in March, leading a 1-2-3 contingent of U.S. athletes across the line in China with a time of 45.08. He went on to win gold in the 4x400, too, helping the Americans to a time of 3:03.13. To be frank, opportunities like this are meant for Bailey, who owns a personal best of 44.31 seconds. The 24-year-old from Atlanta, Georgia has a small sponsorship with Tracksmith, but winning $100,000 could change his life. Featuring six event groups and 12 total races across the three-day event series, the league will field eight athletes on the line for every moment on the track. Grand Slam Track will feature four 'racers' against four 'challengers,' giving each event discipline ample competition and enough see-saw action to see things get spicy by race's end. The short sprints category will feature athletes at 100 meters and 200 meters; the short hurdles will showcase athletes at the 100 and 110 meter hurdle discipline and the 100 meters; short distance will comprise of events at 800 meters and 1,500 meters; long distance will highlight races at 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters; long sprints will boast performances at 200 meters and 400 meters; and long hurdle athletes will vie for placement at 400 meter hurdles and 400 meters. EUGENE, OREGON - JUNE 30: Gold medalist Grant Fisher looks on with a flag and the gold medal after ... More winning the men's 5000 meter final on Day Ten of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Track & Field Trials at Hayward Field on June 30, 2024 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by) In the short sprints, Kenny Bednarek, Zharnel Hughes, Fred Kerley and Oblique Seville are racers. Ackeem Blake, Joseph Fahnbulleh, Terrence Jones and Courtney Lindsay are challengers. In the long sprints, Matthew Hudson-Smith, Jereem Richards and Muzala Samukonga are racers. Chris Bailey, Zandrion Barnes, Busang Collen Kebinatshipi, Vernon Norwood and Deandre Watkin are challengers. In the short distance, Marco Arop, Cole Hocker, Josh Kerr and Yared Nuguse are racers. Mohamed Attaoui, Neil Gourley, Bryce Hoppel and Emmanuel Wanyonyi are challengers. In the long hurdles, Roshawn Clarke, Caleb Dean, Alison dos Santos and Clément Ducos are racers. CJ Allen, Malik James-King, Chris Robinson and Assinie Wison are challengers. In the long distance, Grant Fisher, Hagos Gebrhiwet, Luis Grijalva and Ronald Kwemoi are racers. Telahun Haile Bekele, Dylan Jacobs, Thierry Ndikumwenayo, Charles Philibert-Thiboutot and Cooper Teare are challengers. In the short hurdles, Devon Allen, Freddie Crittenden, Daniel Roberts and Sasha Zhoya are racers. Dylan Beard, Orlando Bennett, Eric Edwards, Omar McLeod and Cordell Tinch are challengers. Alas, one of the biggest weekends of track is upon us with the debut of Grand Slam Track.
NBC Sports
09-02-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Fisher, Hocker battle for 3000m world record
Grant Fisher calls his race with Cole Hocker a "battle for the ages" as he secured a world record in the men's 3000m at the 117th Millrose Games.
NBC Sports
06-02-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
OLYMPIC MEDALISTS TAKE THE SPOTLIGHT IN NBC SPORTS' LIVE COVERAGE OF HISTORIC MILLROSE GAMES TRACK & FIELD MEET ON SATURDAY AT 4 P.M. ET ON NBC AND PEACOCK
Olympic Gold Medalists Masai Russell, Marcell Jacobs, Cole Hocker, and Katie Moon to Compete at New York City's Famed Armory Paris Olympic 1500m Rematch: Silver Medalist Josh Kerr vs. Bronze Medalist Yared Nuguse in Prestigious NYRR Men's Wanamaker Mile at 5:50 p.m. ET Paris Olympic 1500m Gold Medalist Cole Hocker vs. Paris Olympic 5000m/10,000m Bronze Medalist Grant Fisher in Men's 3000m at 4:40 p.m. ET Ato Boldon, Sanya Richards-Ross, Kara Goucher, Paul Swangard, and Lewis Johnson will Call the Meet from The Armory STAMFORD, Conn. – Feb. 6, 2025 – Olympic gold medalists such as Masai Russell, Marcell Jacobs, Cole Hocker, and Katie Moon take center stage under the bright lights of New York City during NBC Sports' live coverage of the 117th Millrose Games this Saturday, Feb. 8, at 4 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. The iconic meet, which was established in 1908 and has been held at The Armory in Manhattan since 2012, doubles as a stop on the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold. The meet's premier event, the NYRR Wanamaker Mile, doubles as a rematch of the Paris Olympic 1500m final in the men's race as silver medalist Josh Kerr faces off against bronze medalist and two-time defending Wanamaker Mile champion Yared Nuguse. Kerr broke the two-mile indoor record at this meet last year before winning a world indoor title in the 3000m and Olympic silver medal in the 1500m. Nuguse, the U.S. mile record holder and Paris Olympic 1500m bronze medalist, looks to become the first man to win three consecutive Wanamaker Mile titles since two-time Olympic 1500m medalist Bernard Lagat won six in a row from 2005-2010. The women's side will see Paris Olympic 1500m silver medalist Jessica Hull (Australia) in the 3000m facing four-time NCAA champion and New York native Katelyn Tuohy. In the women's NYRR Wanamaker Mile, Paris Olympic 1500m bronze medalist Georgia Bell (Great Britain) and U.S. Olympian Elise Cranny, coming off a pair of performances in Boston last weekend that saw her notch personal bests in both the indoor mile and indoor 3000m, are expected to compete. Additionally, the men's 3000m will see Paris Olympic 1500m gold medalist Cole Hocker face Paris Olympic 5000m/10,000m bronze medalist Grant Fisher, in the first race between a U.S. Olympic 1500m medalist and 5000m medalist since 2016 Rio Olympic 1500m gold medalist Matt Centrowitz faced two-time Olympic 5000m medalist Paul Chelimo in 2018 – and only the second such matchup in U.S. history. This past summer in Paris, Hocker became only the fourth U.S. man to win Olympic 1500m gold, while Fisher became the second U.S. man to win an Olympic medal in the 10,000m since 1964. Saturday's meet is also expected to include a number of Olympians, such as Tokyo Olympic 100m gold medalist Marcell Jacobs, two-time Olympic pole vault medalist Katie Moon, Paris Olympic 110m hurdles silver medalist Daniel Roberts, two-time U.S. 100m Olympian Trayvon Bromell, U.S. 800m record holder Bryce Hoppel, and Paris Olympic 4x400m relay gold medalist and 17-year-old prodigy Quincy Wilson, who lowered his own high school indoor national record in the 400m to 45.66 at last weekend's New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. NBC Sports' Paul Swangard will call the event, joined by four-time Olympic medalist Ato Boldon, four-time Olympic gold medalist Sanya Richards-Ross, and two-time Olympian Kara Goucher. Lewis Johnson will serve as reporter. NBC Sports' 2025 indoor track & field schedule is highlighted by the USATF Indoor Championships in Staten Island, N.Y. (Feb. 23) and the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China (March 20-23). How to Watch – Saturday, February 8 (all times ET): TV: NBC Streaming: Peacock, NBC Sports app --NBC SPORTS--
