It's been a very respectable season for Cole. The US now has one of the very best in the world in Yared Nuguse, and several guys like Hocker and Kessler who have had tantalizing moments of brilliance that make them credible future podium threats -- if their early-20s development goes exceptionally well.
It's been a very respectable season for Cole. The US now has one of the very best in the world in Yared Nuguse, and several guys like Hocker and Kessler who have had tantalizing moments of brilliance that make them credible future podium threats -- if their early-20s development goes exceptionally well.
No offense to Kessler, but he shouldn't be compared to Hocker at this point, and he shouldn't be considered a credible future podium threat. Only Nuguse is that right now from the Americans.
I'm a believer in Hocker, but it's not surprising that after peaking for Worlds on limited buildup, there might not be another level to go to this season when he's just been racing/tapering of late, not doing a whole lot of training.
Next year, we'll see if he can jump a level if he can get a longer buildup and stay healthy a la Nuguse's jump from 2022 to 2023.
After re-watching the race, Hocker is in a great position with 150m to go – around 5th or so. If he had had a solid kick from there, he could have challenged for the top 3. Instead he had a rough last 150 (especially the final 50m) and the race is viewed as a disappointment. The margins are so thin at the top.
This post was edited 38 seconds after it was posted.
He’s saving his brutal kick for near retired Americans and college kids at the next huge meet on American soil. bet he burns them all on his was to a smokin 3:35
you say this like 3:35 isn't faster than 99% of people on this site could run...
Notice anything? From 2011 through 2017, the winning time was always over 3:33. In fact, until 2019, the last time anyone ran under 3:33 (throwing out Ramzi 3:32.9) was 2003!
Since 2019, it's been Cheruiyot and Ingebrigtsen, and the winning times have not only been under 3:33, but have been under 3:30. It's a VERY different period for championship 1500s.
This is why I don't agree with people dismissing Hocker's kick. No one is claiming that Hocker has a great kick in a 3:29 race; they're saying he has one in a 3:35 race. And until recently, 3:35 was normal in a global 1500 final and 3:29 was abnormal, so it's not some trivial onanism to discuss this. If the recent trend of fast races reverses itself--and trends usually do eventually reverse--we'll see then whether Hocker's kick does or doesn't live up to the hype.
It's been a very respectable season for Cole. The US now has one of the very best in the world in Yared Nuguse, and several guys like Hocker and Kessler who have had tantalizing moments of brilliance that make them credible future podium threats -- if their early-20s development goes exceptionally well.
No offense to Kessler, but he shouldn't be compared to Hocker at this point, and he shouldn't be considered a credible future podium threat. Only Nuguse is that right now from the Americans.
I'm a believer in Hocker, but it's not surprising that after peaking for Worlds on limited buildup, there might not be another level to go to this season when he's just been racing/tapering of late, not doing a whole lot of training.
Next year, we'll see if he can jump a level if he can get a longer buildup and stay healthy a la Nuguse's jump from 2022 to 2023.
Agreed. I'm not a Hocker believer but his record is incomparably better than any US 1500 guy other than Nuguse right now (assuming Centro is done). I'm critical of how he ran his global finals (too passive), but 6th and 7th is not nothing. Nuguse should have medalled this year but Hocker is the clear US number two - it's not close
After re-watching the race, Hocker is in a great position with 150m to go – around 5th or so. If he had had a solid kick from there, he could have challenged for the top 3. Instead he had a rough last 150 (especially the final 50m) and the race is viewed as a disappointment. The margins are so thin at the top.
Re watched it as well. His form was awful, not smooth at all. At 1000m he was 4th - nearly ideal, but he was starting to lose ground and looked tight/not in control. I think he started too fast for his current level and couldn't keep up.
In the final stretch, he totally collapsed. An anti-kick basically.
This is basically him getting back to where he was two years ago. Unfortunately, he's stayed in one place while the rest of the world has moved forward, but here's hoping he ends the season healthy and has a completely healthy next season.
Yeah, the world move on so much that his Olympic 6th became World Championship 7th. Dramatic!
He was injured early this year and likely did not run for close to 2 months. How many guys in that WC final took 2 months of the last 8 months off? Not sure what that really means, but there is potential here. He can kick with the best. And he can kick in a fast race after rounds. For this one, a week later, he went for it and came up a little flat at the end. Maybe lack of depth in training this year was a factor. Or maybe 3:30.7 will always be his PR. I'd bet it won't be.
Hocker looks like a flabby cheerleader running out during halftime at the high school game. His kick was something during a low NCAA year, but it's clearly diluted when running near 3:30.
The only reason he's been at a few global championships is because Nuguse is the only one we've got. He also runs 'weak' but has a nose for positioning. Hocker is Kincaid all over again on the best of days.
I don't get why some people are so full of hate. Hocker is having solid results at a world class level with potential for even more. Whether he does more or not does not affect them. Yet they are SOOO angry. Why?
This is basically him getting back to where he was two years ago. Unfortunately, he's stayed in one place while the rest of the world has moved forward, but here's hoping he ends the season healthy and has a completely healthy next season.
agree-here's hoping--he is still only 22 and he has at least 2 kicks at the Olympic can left...
He has a lot of work to do to establish some sort of presence at the world level.
Back to back world finals isn't a 'presence'?
How many others accomplished this?
Literally hundreds have accomplished that. He's not a presence because he's not currently a medal factor in those races. 7th, 6th and whatever in the last WC isn't scaring people.
He had to almost kill himself to PR last week and it was only good for 7th. The 3.5 second gap between him and JIs PR is enormous and Will never be closed.
“Low NCAA year”… you’re acting like Cole didn’t compete against:
- the ncaa mile record holder (Cooper)
- 2022 world champs 1500 4th place finisher (Garcia)
- the American indoor mile record holder who just beat the reigning world 1500 champ (Yared)
All of those guys are slow compared to actual international elites. Teare couldn't even make the US team, who is garbage and has won 2 medals total (both bronze) from 2017 to today.
Literally hundreds have accomplished that. He's not a presence because he's not currently a medal factor in those races. 7th, 6th and whatever in the last WC isn't scaring people.
Please look at the last two world finals in the 1500 and share with me how many runners made both finals. Then share with me how many finished in the top 7 both times.
Hint: It’s less than seven. In the entire world. That makes him a “presence”. You know, since he is consistently PRESENT in world finals.
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