Why has Olympic champion Cole Hocker been disqualified from 2025 World Athletics Championships 1500m final?
Published 15/09/2025 at 23:36 GMT+1
Paris 2024 Olympic Games champion Cole Hocker has been disqualified from the 2025 World Athletics Championships final – but why? The American was a shock Olympic gold medallist a year ago, beating favourites Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr to the top of the podium. But now he will not have the chance to win gold in Tokyo. "I trust my instincts,” Hocker said.
Watch thrilling 1500m final as Hocker defeats GB's Kerr and Ingebrigtsen
Video credit: TNT Sports
Cole Hocker was disqualified from the 1500m World Championships final after jostling through the pack when becoming "trapped" on the home straight.
The American was a shock Olympic gold medallist a year ago, beating favourites Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr to the top of the podium.
He was therefore expected to compete for gold in Tokyo but in the semi-final he found himself stuck on the inside and running out of options fast.
Just like he did in Paris a year ago to win gold, Hocker barged through a gap, only unlike at the Stade de France, this time he connected with German Robert Farken.
The 24-year-old broke through the pack and went on to finish second and secure a spot in the final, or so he thought.
World Athletics have clear regulations surrounding "jostling" which they state is: "Physical contact on one or more occasions with another athlete or athletes that results in an unfair advantage or causes injury or harm to them or, consequently, to another athlete or athletes."
Farken failed to keep up with the rest and slipped to a 10th-place finish, but will advance in Hocker's place.
Explaining why he went for it, Hocker said: "It was tight, I was looking for any kind of gap I could find.
"I tried my best to get through there as cleanly as possible, but I knew everybody was going to be coming from behind really fast.
"I got a little bit trapped in there. I have been in that position a few times before and I just tried to stay calm.
"I trust my instincts and just try to move through as well as I can."
US Athletics did appeal the decision but that was swiftly rejected and Hocker’s World Championships came to a crushing end.
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Watch as Ingebrigtsen suffers shock exit in 1500m heats
Video credit: TNT Sports
Kerr, the reigning world champion, finished behind Hocker in Paris last year and is now in prime position to defend his crown.
With Hocker out, as well as American team-mate Yared Nuguse not lining up in Wednesday’s final, Kerr will be the only Olympic medallist present.
He too felt contact during his semi-final, tripping at the finish line after leading for virtually the whole race.
That was no disaster, as he still finished second and qualified, behind Dutchman Niels Laros, who qualified fastest.
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Kerr is joined in the final by two other Brits – 2022 world champion Jake Wightman and Neil Gourley.
And there is genuine hope for more than one British medal, with the two fastest runners in 2025, Azeddine Habz and Phanuel Koech failing to make it past the heats, a fate also met by Kerr’s rival Ingebrigtsen.
As fastest qualifier, Laros, who finished sixth in Paris, is the favourite to take gold, but Kerr issued a warning to anyone trying to take away his crown.
"I have my work cut out for me, but I feel pretty confident," he said.
"We're getting places, I would say it's among the most confident I've gone into a world final, but each championships bring their own kind of challenges and fun.
"I'll keep doing what I can to show up and medal and go after the gold – it’s my title, it will be a real battle for whoever wants to come and take it off of me."
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'He makes it look so easy!' - Duplantis breaks pole vault world record once again
Video credit: TNT Sports
How to watch the 2025 World Athletics Championships
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