Cole Hocker set for 1,500-meter final at World Athletics Championships
Two years after finishing sixth at the Olympics and a year after injuries prevented him from competing at Oregon22, Cole Hocker is back in a global final.
The former Oregon standout will run for a medal in the men’s 1,500 at 12:15 p.m. Wednesday during the fifth day of the World Athletics Championships at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest.
Hocker advanced to the final by running 3:34.43 in Saturday’s heats and then 3:35.23 in Sunday’s semifinal.
During Hocker’s breakout year in 2021 he won three NCAA titles during the collegiate season and followed with a U.S. title in the 1,500 at the Olympic Trials. In Tokyo for the Summer Games, he placed sixth in 3:31.40.
An Achilles injury knocked him out of the 2022 U.S. championships during the preliminary heats, keeping him out of the world championship meet that took place at Hayward Field.
Three others who finished ahead of Hocker in Tokyo are also in Wednesday’s final — Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway, bronze medalist Josh Kerr of Great Britain, and fourth-place finisher Abel Kipsang of Kenya. U.S. champion Yared Nuguse is also a medal contender. His finish in 3:32.69 was the fastest time in either heat during Sunday's semifinals.
Raevyn Rogers gets started Wednesday
Hocker isn’t the only former Duck expected to compete Wednesday.
During the early session in Hungary, Raevyn Rogers is entered in the heats of the women’s 800 at 1:05 a.m. PDT.
Rogers, who won a silver medal in 2019 at the world championships in Doha, Qatar, is attempting to make Friday’s semifinals.
Also, at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, 2021 Olympian Aneta Konieczek, competing for Poland, is entered in the women’s 3,000 steeplechase semifinals. The final for that event is Sunday.
Canada's Jillian Weir is entered in the second flight of the first round of the women's hammer which starts at 11:35 a.m. Weir, a 2021 Olympian, is competing in her third world championships meet. She was fifth last year in Eugene.
Jorinde van Klinken places fourth in discus
The former Duck, who capped her collegiate career two months ago with her second-straight NCAA outdoor title in the women's discus, placed fourth Tuesday in a spirited finish in Budapest.
Van Klinken, competing for her native Netherlands, threw 220 feet, 5 inches, missing out on a medal by 3½ feet.
Gold and silver went to Team USA's Laulauga Tausaga (228-0) and Valarie Allman (227-1), and China's Bin Feng (223-9) claimed bronze.
Van Klinken's best throw came in the early stages of the fifth round and momentarily put her in second place. But both Tausaga and Feng topped Van Klinken's mark with their fifth throws to drop the former Duck down in the standings.
Jessica Hull gets familiar finish
The Australian, who set two school records and won an NCAA title for Oregon finished seventh in the women's 1,500 final Tuesday.
Hull was also seventh last summer during Oregon22, though she ran a few seconds faster this time around.
She crossed the line in Budapest in 3:59.54, bettering her time of 4:01.82 from last year.
Hull is on track for a quick turnaround, as she is entered in the 5,000, which begins at 2:10 a.m. Wednesday with the semifinals. U.S. champion Elise Cranny of Eugene-based Bowerman Track Club is also entered.
Follow Chris Hansen on Twitter @chansen_RG or email at chansen@registerguard.com. For more sports coverage, visit registerguard.com. Want more stories like this? Subscribe to get unlimited access and support local journalism.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Former Oregon Duck Cole Hocker set for 1,500-meter final
