WATCH: Former Oregon runner Cole Hocker wins epic gold in 1500 meter

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

One of the best things about the Olympics is seeing athletes rise to the occasion and shock the world – literally.

One such instance occurred on Tuesday during the final of the men’s 1500 meter. Most everyone predicted the race to be one for the bronze, with two rivals from Norway and Great Britain expected to continue their battle in the arena for the gold medal.

As the race unfolded it looked like that would indeed be the case, but then former Oregon distance runner Cole Hocker threw the running universe into chaos when he found something deep within and outpaced everyone to finish first at the line and take home a very improbably gold medal for team U.S.A.

For the longest time, Oregon has been the track and field mecca of the United States, and, in particular, distance running, but the United States has often been playing catch up with the rest of the world when it comes to the longer distances.

In this case though, and during the Olympic Summer Games in Paris, the U.S.A. has hit the ground running and put the world on notice that it means business. Check out Hocker make some magic at the foot of the Eiffel Tower by setting a personal best and Olympic record.

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 6, 2024We still have a little less than a week of what we hope are some more magical moments from former and current Big Ten athletes and as they occur we’ll be there for it.

Author(s)

Phil Harrison has covered the Big Ten for collegefootballnews.com, Ohio State sports for USA TODAY SMG’s Buckeyes Wire, and other sports platforms. He has been a guest on many local and national podcasts and radio shows.