PARIS :American Cole Hocker delivered one of the all-time Olympic shocks when he won the 1,500 metres gold with a stunning finish to blast past world champion Josh Kerr as defending champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen faded to fourth on Tuesday.
The race had been billed as a showdown between Ingebrigtsen and Kerr and the Norwegian set a hot pace as he led coming into the last 200.
Briton Kerr, just as he did in last year’s world championships, surged past him and looked set for victory, only for Hocker to find a way through on the inside.
His winning time of three minutes 27.65 was an Olympic record and a massive personal best by more than three seconds.
Kerr posted a national record 3:27.79 and Yared Nuguse took bronze for the U.S. in another huge pb of 3:27.80.
Ingebrigtsen finished fourth in a time faster than his Olympic record set in Tokyo, but the double world champion over 5,000m has another shot at a medal as he goes in the heats over that distance on Wednesday.
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