Cole Hocker: "If I stay healthy, I don’t think anyone can beat me. Definitely not in America,”

Naguse is not a willing participant in Hocker’s wannabe rivalry. Hocker can talk all he wants but he needs to produce more than one race. Trials has gone to his head a little. Let’s see what happens in Paris. Naguse will not play pacer every round, can the little Hocker put up with international elbows? As for the future, he has found a formula he credits for working but the stimulus needs to keep progressing, does he have the team to help him with that?

Again, I fail to see your logic in how this has anything to do with the color of one’s skin. Hocker beat Goose in the most recent trials and that cannot be debated. You could argue Hocker won that race convincingly (had time to look back). I don’t think Goose would have said he didn’t want to win that race. Goose is an unbelievable talent and I hope he does well and represents our country, hell I hope he wins it. But, right now I think Hocker is in better form. But that the beauty of the sport, who is gonna’ show up through the rounds and be able to perform their best in the final and I personally think that is Hocker because of what he has been doing on the track recently and his confidence level.

This is a fair point. Their personal bests are very different.

I think my bias with Hocker is Nuguse just seems like he has no change in gears. Maybe that's a testament to how smooth he is, we can't tell when he's running a 54 400.

There is something about Hocker's clear change of pace (and history of winning tactical races with that kick) that gives me more confidence that as long a Hocker is near Nuguse at the end, he'll beat him.

Maybe it's illogical, I don't know.

I have the same impression of Nuguse and I don't know why. The guy closed the World Indoor 3k in 25.24 running in lane 2. He's got wheels, he just never looks like he's sprinting.

Hocker is a great great athlete already. There aren't many back to back OT champs in this event and he already has a 6th place under his belt from an Olympics. His is easily one of the worlds very best.

But here is still the issue (and it's the same issue Josh Kerr has) in this era of 1500m running which is dictated by Ingebrigtsen - it's one thing accelerating off 3.32 pace - it's a totally different game surviving 2.47/8 at 1200m in your 3rd race in 5 days.

This is where, especially in the case of Hocker, I would love to see him racing more in Europe and at least putting himself out there at the 1200m point (going deep under 2.48). And I know he was injured last season and this year it's a weird one timing wise, but back to the problem the field faces in trying to overcome J.I, they are essentially relying on him to make the mistake/not get it right. So it's not a case of ever having their destiny in their own hands, they need a guy to mess up.

I like his mindset and honestly, his comment about being beaten in America (presumably he's talking trials, NC's etc) I think is pretty accurate - he has a different X factor to Nuguse - always has. But globally? Time to put up or shut up I guess.

Lot of arrogance with nothing to show for it. But that could change however I dont see how he could win with kickers in the race if it is slow and strength guys for if it is fast.

If you are triggered by Cole's comments you have never been an elite athlete - never mind trying to be the best in the world. You need to think this way. You don't win a gold medal by hoping you can win, you believe you can win. Good for Cole.

You are incorrect. Check yourself.

Fool is like 1 and 20 against Neguse and thinks no ibe can beat him.

WTF are you talking about? Steve Holman??? When did you dig him up? When you post such idiotic crap like this, you're showing everyone that you know NOTHING about the sport.

Help me with this quote, "Yeah Jakob is arrogant as hell but he has partially earned it". Partially??? Did Jakob "kinda" or "partially" win the Olympic Gold Medal". Uhhhh, I'm thinking he has TOTALLY earned it. Hocker is a different situation altogether, he is an Olympic 1500m finalist and is showing great form at this time and claiming to be the best American when healthy is not farfetched or unrealistic. Claiming he can't be beat by "anyone" if healthy is a reach, but not unreachable. He's strong (5000m), he's fast (800m), and has run quality 1500m PB's after rounds in the Olympic Games and most recent Olympic Trials. He checks a lot of boxes which clearly puts him in the conversation of a podium finish in Paris.

Please expand on the "racist" accusation against people on this thread. I for one support him, and I assure you I'm not a racist.

You are so triggered because of who you are and your issues with racism. This is a teachable moment if only you are willing to learn.

Hot take...Cole Hocker is Woody Kincaid (and Nuguse is Fisher) until proven otherwise! We always talk about Woody's kick and if he's there with 400 to go in an international 10K he can kick with anyone (in the last Olympic cycle...I know he is 30+ now and this talk has died down), yet he has never been in contention in an international race, while Grant Fisher is actually in the race. Hocker is a 1500/5k guy and Kincaid is a 5K/10K guy, but Kincaid actually has a way faster 5K PR (12:51 to 12:58).

I think the other similarity is that both Hocker and Kincaid look at the US Champs as THE championship to try to win and make it an A race, where Fisher and Nuguse, while both want to win the US Champs are much more concerned with A. making the team and B. running an A+ race in the ACTUAL Olympics/WC Final. I think Fisher and Nuguse's results in international races prove this point.

He has no chance of winning. Everyone better watch out for Komen. I think the Kenyans are brewing something like they did in 1968 and 1988. There will be a major surprise in this event!

Whatever he says. He might be amongst those who will fight for silver. Together with Kerr, Tim Cheruiyot, R, Cheruiyot, Laros and Nordås.

The logic I see with Hocker's statements is that when he's been on top of his game, like 2021, he made short work of Nuguse at NCAAs and OTs. He probably feels that he would have owned Nuguse in the 2021 Olympics as well if Nuguse had actually raced.

In the meantime, Nuguse has continued to improve while Hocker has been injured. Hocker feels he has overcome his injuries and improved over the past year while Nuguse is plateaued at the moment but still at a higher level than Hocker.

Hocker feels he's ready for that final breakthrough that will put him at the same level as Nuguse. Since he's been able to handle Nuguse in championships when they're at the same fitness level, he probably feels like he's ready to start beating up on Nuguse.

Finally, since Nuguse has shown he can run 3:43, just behind Jakob, Hocker probably feels he's capable of competing with anyone on the right day. With his huge kick, he's gonna be hard to deal with if he makes that final jump to 3:27-3:28.

It's not reality yet, but it seems that Hocker intends to make it so.

It's 100% guaranteed that nobody beats him in America in this Olympics.

Lol ‘final jump’ to 3:27-3:28’, you don’t just ‘jump’ from a 3:30 to a 3:27. If you do, you know what that says. This is like everyone saying Josh Kerr can suddenly run 3:26. Guy hasn’t broken 3:29. Hocker has a 3:29 in him. He might have a 3:28 in him, but I’ll say—- he ain’t doing that without being paced by a certain someone.

Willis said that he think's Hocker's OT final, where he closed in 52.xx in a 3:30 race is worth a 3:28 in a paced DL race. So, if that is correct, he is already there fitness wise, he doesn't need to make a "final jump".

Well that is all well and good but then what is Goose’s race worth there, where he led almost the entire race and finished close to Hocker. Surely it is worth more than Hocker’s.