World Champs Menâ€s 5000 — A Spectacular Hocker Rebound

With a lap to go Cole Hocker ran third among the Americans, in 12th place overall. A jets-in-his-shoes final circuit rewrote that scenario. (KEVIN MORRIS)

SWEET REDEMPTION, you could call it. Cole Hocker, the Olympic champion disqualified here for jostling in the 1500, came back in the 5000 and burst forth from a crowded pack of contenders on the final lap to claim the gold with a scintillating kick.

The heats had claimed several significant names: Niels Laros (Netherlands), Andreas Almgren (Sweden) and Kuma Girma (Ethiopia). All the Americans got through.

In the final, it immediately appeared that Grant Fisher was following through on his hints of driving a faster pace to sap the kickers after his 8th in the 10,000. He and Nico Young (5th in the longer race) moved to the front after a slow initial 600, part of a planned collaboration.

For the next 800, Fisher led. The first K took 2:40.40. The next, with Young leading at 2K in 5:15.12, took 2:34.72. Ethiopiaâ€s Hagos Gebrhiwet moved up to join them and took the lead a half lap later. The pace slipped a bit, and at 2900 Fisher moved back in front, leading past 3000 in 7:51.78, for a 2:36.66 kilo split.

Fisher pushed for another lap before Ethiopiaâ€s Biniam Mehary went up front. Then a half lap later, it was defending champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen who took control. Fisher, swallowed by the pack, ended up boxed, as Young ran on the outside and Hocker lurked farther back. The Norwegian slowed it up, leading through 4K in 10:32.16, a 2:40.38 for the front of the pack.

Belgiumâ€s Isaac Kimeli shadowed Ingebrigtsen, who stayed in front until 400 to go, when Mehary got to the front. At that point, Hocker was still the third American, in 12th. By 300 to go, Hocker had made it up to 9th, with Young in 5th just behind 10K winner Jimmy Gressier.

Mehary, just 18, still led with a half-lap to go, just ahead of Kimeli and Gressier, with Hocker on the move in 5th. The final turn left no doubt that Hocker was closing like a runaway train. He took the lead on the straight and never wavered in claiming gold in 12:58.30, his last lap 52.62, final 200 a brilliant 25.50.

Kimeli (12:58.78) and Gressier (12:59.33) grabbed the other podium spots, with Australian (and Stanford alum) Ky Robinson running 12:59.61 to pass Mehary (12:59.95) and Young (13:00.07). Fisher finished a dispirited 8th in 13:00.79.

Said Hocker, “I wanted to end the World Championships on my terms, especially after how I prepared all year for this. I felt I was robbed in the 1500. I knew I had the opportunity today, that I had the legs to take this field. I had a lot of bodies ahead of me but I felt very strong — enough to pass them one by one. Our last 5K champion [Bernard] Lagat was someone I grew up watching. This is a huge step to win this gold like he did. I felt like I raced perfectly today.â€

MENâ€S 5000 RESULTS

FINAL (September 21)

1. Cole Hocker (US) 12:58.30 PR

(2:41.88, 2:34.67 [5:16.55], 2:36.27 [7:52.82], 2:30.17 [10:32.99], 2:25.31)

(12.51, 25.50, 52.62, 1:54.06, 4:01.09);

2. Isaac Kimeli (Bel) 12:58.78

(13.10, 26.36, 54.06, 1:55.05, 4:01.77);

3. Jimmy Gressier (Fra) 12:59.33

(13.39, 26.76, 54.28, 1:55.30, 4:02.50);

4. Ky Robinson (Aus) 12:59.61

(13.23, 26.44, 54.07, 1:55.29, 4:02.21);

5. Biniam Mehary (Eth) 12:59.95

(14.05, 27.67, 55.42, 1:55.96, 4:03.59);

6. Nico Young (US) 13:00.07

(13.50, 27.07, 54.73, 1:56.09, 4:03.37);

7. Birhanu Balew (Bhr) 13:00.55

(14.20, 27.81, 55.69, 1:56.83, 4:04.06);

8. Grant Fisher (US) 13:00.79

(13.33. 26.93, 55.30, 1:56.73, 4:04.57);

9. Yann Schrub (Fra) 13:01.34;

10. Jakob Ingebrigtsen (Nor) 13:02.00;

11. Mathew Kipsang (Ken) 13:03.67;

12. Mike Foppen (Neth) 13:05.94;

13. Hagos Gebrhiwet (Eth) 13:07.02;

14. Etienne Daguinos (Fra) 13:11.72;

15. Valentin Soca (Uru) 13:34.35;

16. George Mills (GB) 13:44.88.

(leader kilos: Fisher 2:40.40; Young 5:15.12; Fisher 7:51.78; Ingebrigtsen 10:32.16)

HEATS (September 19)

I–1. Kimeli 13:13.06; 2. Kipsang 13:13.33; 3. Hocker 13:13.41; 4. Young 13:13.51; 5. Robinson 13:13.60; 6. Gebrhiwet 13:13.73; 7. Foppen 13:13.97; 8. Daguinos 13:14.87; 9. Andreas Almgren (Swe) 13:16.38; 10. Santiago Catrofe (Uru) 13:17.26; 11. Dominic Lobalu (Swi) 13:19.57; 12. Narve Gilje NordÃ¥s (Nor) 13:25.00; 13. Kenneth Kiprop (Uga) 13:25.15; 14. Jacob Krop (Ken) 13:28.73; 15. Nagiya Mori (Jpn) 13:29.44; 16. Florian Bremm (Ger) 13:31.09; 17. Brian Fay (Ire) 13:31.12; 18. Seth Oâ€Donnell (Aus) 13:34.52; 19. Sulaiman Zhusup (Kir) 14:47.40;… dnf—Kuma Girma (Eth).

II–1. Mehary 13:41.52; 2. Gressier 13:41.64; 3. Balew 13:41.75; 4. Mills 13:41.76; 5. Soca 13:41.80; 6. Fisher 13:41.83; 7. Schrub 13:42.00; 8. Ingebrigtsen 13:42.15; 9. Gulveer Singh (Ind) 13:42.34; 10. Darragh McElhinney (Ire) 13:42.56; 11. Mohamed Abdilaahi (Ger) 13:44.68; 12. Cornelious Kemboi (Ken) 13:45.79; 13. John Heymans (Bel) 13:47.37; 14. Thierry Ndikumwenayo (Spa) 13:47.72; 15. Saymon Tesfagiorgis (Eri) 13:49.43; 16. Jack Rayner (Aus) 13:49.46; 17. Eduardo Herrera (Mex) 13:51.29; 18. Harbert Kibet (Uga) 13:52.36; 19. Andrew Coscoran (Ire) 13:56.95; 20. Jamal Abdelmaji Eisa Mohammed (Sud) 13:58.90;… dnf—Niels Laros (Neth).

Jeff Hollobaugh is a writer and stat geek who has been associated with T&FN in various capacities since 1987. He is the author of How To Race The Mile. He lives in Michigan where he can often be found announcing track meets in bad weather.

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