A sincere clarification on behalf of the media and the entire athletics community. Following the unexpected events at the Stade de France on Tuesday, we feel it’s necessary to revisit and slightly amend some of the coverage from the past year.
For instance, when we characterized the Olympic men’s 1500m final as a fierce contest between Josh Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen, we should have made it clear that these two athletes ultimately finished second and fourth. When we placed microphones in front of them and prodded for rivalry comments, we actually intended to encourage them to trash talk Cole Hocker.
When World Athletics prompted TikTok users with the question of whether they were #TeamKerr or #TeamIngebrigtsen, an oversight resulted in the omission of the third choice, #TeamHocker. Additionally, when the Olympics website announced that “the competition lies between the two fastest runners in the men’s 1500m,” it should have been noted that others could potentially run faster. We apologize for any confusion these misinterpretations may have caused.
Regarding that rivalry: until the last 80m of this spectacular, thrilling Olympic final, it was very much alive. Kerr of Scotland and Ingebrigtsen of Norway remained the primary contenders, just as everyone expected. Ingebrigtsen showcased endurance while Kerr boasted speed. Ingebrigtsen took an early lead, trying to increase the pace from a distance, while Kerr remained close behind as the field gradually separated like poorly organized spaghetti.
As they approached the final bend, answers were imminent. This has been a long and at times wearying verbal sparring between two athletes who were never as far ahead of the pack as they believed. Kerr accused Ingebrigtsen of being surrounded by sycophants. Ingebrigtsen claimed he could defeat Kerr blindfolded. Kerr criticized Ingebrigtsen’s lack of manners, while Ingebrigtsen labeled Kerr “the Brit who never competes.”
We consume these narratives eagerly, as we’ve come to believe that athletics needs to be marketed and presented appealingly—almost like a consumer product. The rivalry between Kerr and Ingebrigtsen effectively sold tickets and boosted television ratings, perhaps even securing jobs for some.
Furthermore, this rivalry had tangible effects on racing outcomes. Consider this: nearly every time Kerr and Ingebrigtsen were interviewed over the last year, one topic dominated the conversation, and both were eager participants. Every impulse—be it media-driven, commercial, or competitive—had prompted them to view this race as a rivalry. Kerr was proudly stating as early as January that he visualized how the race would unfold. However, it’s safe to say he didn’t predict this.
Let’s revisit the final 300m of the race with this new perspective. Hocker started the last lap in fifth position but, by the back straight, surged past Yared Nuguse and Timothy Cheruiyot into third place.
Josh Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen share a brief handshake after the race. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
Amid the crowd’s roar, Kerr positioned himself alongside Ingebrigtsen with about 250m remaining. Concurrently, Hocker moved up alongside both; I would guess that less than 1% of viewers at home noticed.
As they rounded the final turn, Ingebrigtsen glanced at the large screen—perhaps not the wisest choice. He then drifted to lane two to obstruct Kerr’s path, who had anticipated this and began to move around the outside. Both continued to race each other stubbornly. The question remains: if they hadn’t bought into the pre-race hype, why did they leave a considerable opening inside for the one with exceptional speed?
Interestingly, one individual did predict this outcome. Credit to Big Red on the LetsRun.com forum, who foresaw: “Jakob and Kerr gain a slight lead on the last lap. Hocker’s midnight-express kick catches them for gold.” The primary dissenting voice against the Kerr-Ingebrigtsen narrative emerged from the United States, cautioning about the threat posed by rapidly improving runners Hocker and Nuguse, who had shown promise during qualifying—if only anyone cared to pay attention.
This serves as a lesson for all: the power and fallacy of narrative. The 1500m is among the most competitive and unpredictable events, influenced by more than just speed or endurance—luck, tactics, and sometimes pure chance also play a role.
An hour later, Hocker took to the podium to receive his gold medal. He didn’t appear shocked or overwhelmed; he seemed to belong there. It turns out he was the one with the vision all along.
