American middle-distance runner Bryce Hoppel is feeling confident and motivated as the U.S. men’s 800m shows dominance in 2025.
Speaking after the Paris Diamond League , where he clocked 1:43.11 a season best to finish third behind Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui and Josh Hoey, Hoppel said he’s encouraged not just by his own form, but by the overall rise in American talent in the event.
“The U.S. is coming on strong,” he said. “It’s exciting to run next to Josh [Hoey] and Donovan [Brazier], and hopefully we’ll put on a strong field to go after those medals later this year.”
The U.S. 800m has shown some thrive, with depth and quality performances across the board in 2025.
Josh Hoey has been a standout performer. The former high school sensation won gold at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing and broke the American indoor 800m record twice. His 1:42.43 run in Stockholm is currently the fastest time by an American this year and ranks him third all-time on the U.S. list behind only Hoppel and Brazier.
Jonah Koech, who represented the U.S. at the 2022 World Championships, is also back in top form. The Kenyan-born runner posted a personal best of 1:43.32 at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi.
Meanwhile, Donovan Brazier, the 2019 world champion, is also on the comeback trail after injury struggles. He posted a solid 1:43.81 win in Portland and backed it up with another strong run in Nashville.
As for Hoppel, his consistency continues to show. The reigning World Indoor Champion and Olympic fourth-place finisher has rarely put a foot wrong over two laps.
Just days before his race in Stockholm, Hoppel was hit by a sudden illness that nearly derailed his momentum.
“I was fighting for my life before that race,” he said. “It kind of just hit all of a sudden. I felt something coming on and decided to race anyway. Didn’t look too pretty.”
He struggled in Stockholm but rebounded with a much stronger performance in Paris.
“I’m feeling great,” he said. “We’re making progress. It’s always tough to get into your rhythm when racing in Europe, but I’m happy with it. I fought for that race.”
With the U.S. Championships approaching, Hoppel is taking a smart approach. The trials, scheduled for July 30 to August 3 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, will determine Team USA for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.
In addition, Hoppel plans to head home for a final training block before returning to Europe for one last big race ahead of nationals.
“I’m going to go back in and get a good training block,” he said. “Then I’ll come back over here for Monaco. Hopefully run fast there.”