USA’s Olympic 1500m champion Cole Hocker disqualified for ‘jostling’ at World Championships
Olympic 1500m champion Cole Hocker has been disqualified from the World Athletics Championships after being penalized for “jostling” in his semi-final race.
The 24-year-old American, who won surprise gold at the Paris 2024 Games, attempted to push through a narrow gap on the home straight, making contact with Germany’s Robert Farken. Hocker crossed the line second, but officials ruled his move an infringement, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
World Athletics defines jostling as physical contact that gives an unfair advantage or disrupts another athlete. The U.S. team appealed the decision, but it was rejected.
“It was tight, I was looking for any kind of gap I could find,” Hocker said afterward. “I tried to get through as cleanly as possible, but I got a little bit trapped.”
Dutchman Niels Laros posted the fastest qualifying time for Wednesday’s final. Britain’s Josh Kerr and Jake Wightman, the last two world champions, also advanced, along with American Jonah Koech.
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