Six days after heartbreak in his specialist event, Olympic 1500m champion Cole Hocker delivered the perfect response by storming to gold in the men’s 5000m at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
Hocker, who was controversially disqualified in the 1500m semifinals for jostling, ran a tactically patient race. He stayed tucked in the pack as Grant Fisher and Hagos Gebrhiwet alternated at the front, with Jakob Ingebrigtsen briefly taking control in the closing stages. But when the pace lifted in the final lap, Hocker unleashed a devastating kick, surging from 12th position to snatch victory in the final 100 meters.
Full Results – Men’s 5000m Final
- Cole HOCKER (USA) – 12:58.30
- Isaac KIMELI (BEL) – 12:58.78
- Jimmy GRESSIER (FRA) – 12:59.33
- Ky ROBINSON (AUS) – 12:59.61
- Biniam MEHARY (ETH) – 12:59.95
- Nico YOUNG (USA) – 13:00.07
- Birhanu BALEW (BRN) – 13:00.55
- Grant FISHER (USA) – 13:00.79
- Yann SCHRUB (FRA) – 13:01.34
- Jakob INGEBRIGTSEN (NOR) – 13:02.00
- Mathew Kipchumba KIPSANG (KEN) – 13:03.67
- Mike FOPPEN (NED) – 13:05.94
- Hagos GEBRHIWET (ETH) – 13:07.02
- Etienne DAGUINOS (FRA) – 13:11.72
- Valentin SOCA (URU) – 13:34.35
- George MILLS (GBR) – 13:44.88
Crossing the line in 12:58.30, Hocker edged out Belgium’s Isaac Kimeli (12:58.78) and France’s Jimmy Gressier (12:59.33), the newly crowned 10,000m champion.
The 23-year-old American’s triumph makes him only the second U.S. man to win a world title in the 5000m, following Bernard Lagat’s victory in 2007. He also joins Athing Mu as the only Americans to claim both Olympic and World Championship distance golds in their careers.
Remarkably, Hocker’s victory came in the final distance race of the championships, ensuring the U.S. avoided going medal-less in endurance events for the first time since the 2005 Worlds.
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