One of the athletes who won a gold medal in this summer’s Olympics lives in Blacksburg. The race shocked running fans across the world.
Two runners, Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr, were expected to win the 1500 meter race. But a lesser-known runner, Cole Hocker, who trains and lives here in Virginia, swept in front during the final seconds.
“The last 200 it was, like, the loudest I’ve ever heard a race,” said Hocker.
His coach, Ben Thomas, says Hocker has always had an amazing ability to speed up in the final moments of a race.
“Now he’s gotten to a point where he can handle a hard, early pace and still close really well,” said Thomas, who has been Hocker’s coach since 2019 back to when he coached at the University of Oregon. He says he could tell then that Hocker had talent, and was a good team player.
Thomas is from Virginia and previously coached for Virginia Tech. Last year he took a new job as the head track and field coach for the Hokies, Hocker decided to follow him to Blacksburg.
“It’s so beautiful,” said Hocker, who discovered a nice running community in the New River Valley. “You know my girlfriend came with me, and I think she’s finding out how to live here as well. We’re really enjoying it.”
In addition to a gold medal, Hocker, who grew up in Indiana, also set a new Olympic record for the fastest time in the 1500 meter race.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
