Yeah this is obviously a stunning result. Couple of thoughts
1) Reminded me that no matter how good you are, when you decide to lead out a race and have an off day it's just really hard. And when guys start passing you en masse down the home straight it just compounds things - especially for a guy like Hocker who tends to muscle his way down the home straight and not really hold form and relaxation
2) This made me think back to US trials a year ago where I wasn't sure if Hocker would make the team even though I thought he was second best 1500m runner in the country. I thought Centro, Engels and Nuguse would make it and my feeling was that at some point Hocker had to hit a wall considering he had had a huge indoor season and an even bigger outdoor season (including the world class NCAA final and then a rather pointless but still impressive follow up in the 5000m only 2 hours later). So I was massively wrong then but am feeling like maybe age and talent was able to delay the inevitable through until this season where he just hasn't really had the pop like he did last year despite some good performances time wise (like a 3min50 mile). I don't think we quite appreciate how big his 2021 was - especially the toll that NCAA's, US Trials and OG was cumulatively. My guess is that the reason he pulled himself from indoors was because they realized he was starting to run on fumes.
This isn't making excuses for him - rather connecting dots. He just looked cooked today and really making the national final should be a piece of cake for the Olympic 6th place getter. I agree with the other poster that said it's not the end of the world but it something for Hocker. This is a pretty big set-back, maybe mentally more than anything. Hope he get's some rest and get's himself right.
Probably not helped by lack of racing and too many time trials. Last year he was almost over raced but he knew how to win. Stop hiding in Oregon and get out there and race more against the best. Only significant race in the build up was Pre really. Hope he runs better in the 5k.
Seems a lack of racing kept him from being sharp, last year he never had his kick in early season races. Teare seems to run fine racing less but Hocker needs more to sharpen up. Should have done world indoors or done more tun up 1500m's.
Definitely. He started out last season slowly and really raced into it, but didn’t have that same upward curve this year. Maybe it had nothing to do with racing less, but it’s a possibility
Genuinely shocked by this. Hocker getting walked down by 5 guys in the last 50m was nowhere near my bingo card. A couple of questions:
1. What has happened to his kick? Is it really just lack of racing or is it something deeper? It's not the first time this year when he hasn't had enough in the last 100m - see Millrose with both Teare and Beamish beating him.
2. What was he thinking trying to lead this from gun to tape? Hocker hasn't tried doing that in the past so why change tactics at the trials? It's smart to practice other ways of racing, but do it in regular meets, not the one meet where your World Champs place is on the line.
Good luck to whoever makes the US team, but the World Champs will be worse for Hocker's absence. I thought he could be in the mix for bronze
1. What has happened to his kick? Is it really just lack of racing or is it something deeper? It's not the first time this year when he hasn't had enough in the last 100m - see Millrose with both Teare and Beamish beating him.
Elite middle distance track racing is not easy. Cole Hocker was living a bit of a charmed racing life last year. This year not so much. Sometimes being a professional runner is an adjustment too. Then the World Championship are in his college town. What are the odds of that? Pressure can get to the best of us. Cole will not lead the 5000m but he cannot be ruled out as a top 3 contender. He will be more rested for the 5000m than if he had advanced in the 1500m. You have to look for the silver lining in anything.
Can't believe people aren't given him more credit for pulling four guys to the next round
Honestly the headline should read that Cole hocker does a great job getting four of his fellow Americans safely through to the next round
Seriously that's what's wrong with the world! People see this as a failure when it is a huge success!!! He's glad four of his fellow Americans are moving on and he helped them get there!!! He doesn't have any of his own kids but it's safe to say for the rest of this weekend those four guys are his children!!!
Guy just gave birth to four potential American champions and you knuckleheads want to say it wasn't a great achievement!!! Well I'm here to tell you it was!!! This was a great moment!!!
The guys on the '85 Bears all say (in hindsight) that the best thing that happened to them that season was to lose that game to Miami in week 13. It was a reality check for them - they realized they needed to refocus and never let it happen again. Some of the guys think they may not have won the Super Bowl without losing that game.
Hocker is more like the '86 Bears, who had a fine regular season then lost the first game of the playoffs.
it would appear he needs to go back to whatever he was doing last year. staying uber fit for 8 straight months. whatever he is doing this year is obviously not working for him. not sure if they're trying to be too cute, or what.
if it ain't broke, don't fix it!
Liberals just crying because he didn't buy into this vaccine nonsense and is not a sheep.
This is what he gets for skipping world indoors to focus on world outdoors.
Came here to say this. Not saying that would make a difference here, but at least he would have had some international results and I think it would be great with some matching.
But he's qualified for the 5000m. If he declared, he'd be a force.
Agreed he should go for the 5000. But maybe people should ease off on the "he'd be a force", "he could win xx medal" etc. He would be a clear underdog in any distance but he could make the finals. (And in the finals anything could happen ofc).