“A lot of the time it comes down to whether I’d rather set a world record in February or win the World Championships and defend my title in September. There's a lot that goes into it, but I think I'm fast enough to go after a world record in a few events.”

My guest for today's episode is none other than Cole Hocker, the 23-year-old American middle distance star who shocked the world at the Paris Olympics by winning gold in the men's 1500m. While the pre-race buzz centered on Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr, it was Cole who flew under the radar and stormed to victory in an Olympic record of 3:27.65.

If you go back into our podcast archives, you can find an episode that we did with Cole in Paris just 48 hours after his victory. It was really cool to have that moment etched in time and to hear how fresh his thoughts and feelings were. We touch on life since Paris in this conversation.

From his breakout performance in Tokyo to the Olympic triumph in Paris, Cole has established himself as one of the best middle distance runners in the world. We reflect on his incredible 2024 season and learn how he's gearing up for another big year with the World Championships in Tokyo on the horizon. Plus his participation in Grand Slam track's inaugural season.

Cole is also here to announce that one of his first races in 2025 will be the 3000m at the iconic Millrose Games this February in New York City. You can get your tickets at the Armory's website.

Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram

Guest: Cole Hocker | @colehocker on Instagram

Time stamps:

4:02 - Highlights since becoming the 1500m Olympic champion

6:25 - Plans looking ahead to 2025

8:05 - What recovery looked like for him post-Olympics

9:00 - Racing the 3000m at Millrose Games announcement

10:33- How he’s getting ready to move up to the 3K

11:50 - Why he’s racing the 3K instead of the mile at Millrose 

17:13 - Going after the 3K world record 

18:31 - Looking ahead to race plans for the 2025 season 

22:42 - Ways he’s hoping to continue improving 

25:44 - Deciding to sign with Grand Slam Track

28:35 - When he’ll start race-specific training 

29:24 - His upcoming 600m race with Fred Kerley

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