“Kerr Falls Short of Gold as Hocker Delivers Shock; GB Cycling Secures Sprint Silver”
- Hocker produces huge upset as Ingebrigtsen falls short
- Asher-Smith edged out of bronze medal in 200m final
Kerr Falls Short of Gold as Hocker Delivers Shock; GB Cycling Secures Sprint Silver Josh Kerr narrowly missed out on gold in the men’s 1500m final after Cole Hocker of the USA delivered a surprise Olympic-record run, while the Team GB men’s cycling team also secured a silver medal in the velodrome.
The highly anticipated race, described as a “grudge match” by Sebastian Coe, featured Kerr, the world champion from Edinburgh, against Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the Olympic title holder from Norway. Ingebrigtsen set a blistering pace from the start at the Stade de France, and as Kerr, sporting his signature Oakley sunglasses, surged ahead halfway through the final lap, it seemed like a dramatic showdown was imminent.
Kerr appeared to have the upper hand over Ingebrigtsen, with whom he had exchanged pre-race barbs. However, in the final 30 meters, Hocker, a silver medalist in the world indoor championships, made a stunning move to clinch victory with an Olympic-record time of 3:27.65. Hocker surged from fifth to first in the last 300 meters, surpassing Kerr’s personal best by over three seconds and finishing 0.14 seconds ahead. Yared Nuguse of the USA, who had come from 10th place, nearly stole silver from Kerr but ended up with bronze, while Ingebrigtsen finished fourth.
Although Kerr, who had previously won bronze in Tokyo, expressed satisfaction with his performance, he acknowledged that the gold was his goal. “I ran the fastest and best 1500m I’ve ever done,” Kerr said. “It’s not the color of medal I want, but it’s progress towards the right color.”
Ingebrigtsen, the fastest man in the field and fourth-fastest of all time, admitted he had paced himself too aggressively. “I went too fast, too early,” he said. “The guys behind me did a great race, and it was just a bit too much today.”
In the Stade de France, British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith narrowly missed out on bronze in the women’s 200m final, losing in a photo finish to the USA’s Brittany Brown. Gabrielle Thomas of the USA took gold, and Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred, the women’s 100m winner, claimed silver.
Team GB’s men’s sprint cycling team, facing tough competition from the Netherlands—who broke the world record twice en route to victory—secured silver. Jack Carlin, Ed Lowe, and Hamish Turnbull finished nearly a second behind the Dutch team, with Germany taking bronze. Carlin reflected on the team’s performance, saying, “We knew we would be up against it, but we executed solid races and can be proud.”
In skateboarding at Place de Concorde, Britain’s Sky Brown won bronze despite a shoulder injury from a preliminary fall. The 14-year-old Arisa Trew from Australia took gold, while Japan’s Kokona Hiraki, 15, earned silver. Brown, who previously won bronze in Tokyo at age 13, described her podium finish as “sick,” highlighting her joy at being back on the Olympic stage.
Earlier, British 400m hurdles champion Lina Nielsen’s Olympic journey ended when she tripped over the final hurdle in the semi-final. Nielsen, who publicly disclosed her multiple sclerosis diagnosis two years ago, faced a tough break.
In the Aquatics Centre in Saint-Denis, British diver Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, who recently won bronze in synchronized 10m platform diving, came sixth in the individual final. She spoke about her gratitude for the opportunity to compete amid her recent mental health struggles. “I’m just grateful to be alive and to have this experience,” she said.
Lastly, Lewis Richardson secured Team GB’s only boxing medal of the Olympics with a men’s light-middleweight bronze. The 27-year-old was defeated by Mexican boxer Marco Verde in a split decision during the men’s 71kg semi-final.
