Great Britain’s Josh Kerr was made to settle for Olympic 1500m silver behind shock champion Cole Hocker, as Jakob Ingebrigtsen missed out on a medal.
As world gold medallist Kerr and defending Olympic champion Ingebrigtsen played out their anticipated battle for the title, American Hocker found his way past both on the inside to clinch his first global outdoor title.
With a perfectly timed final surge, Hocker took gold in an Olympic record three minutes 27.65 seconds.
Kerr, who upgraded his Olympic bronze from Tokyo, crossed the line in a British record 3:27.79 as another American athlete, Yared Nuguse, ran a personal best 3:27.80 for bronze.
Norway’s Ingebrigtsen led from the front but faded in the closing stages to miss the podium in fourth, having lost out in successive world 1500m finals to Kerr and fellow Briton Jake Wightman since his Tokyo triumph.
“It’s difficult to look back on it now just because it’s been so crazy since the finish line,” said Kerr.
“My ears are gone, my legs are gone. I’m proud of the performance I put out there today.
“I said to myself I’ll control my controllables, I did that today. I executed the fastest that I’ve ever run by almost two seconds.
“It wasn’t enough today. That’s sport. I’m very proud of myself and my preparation coming in. I left no stones unturned and that’s the result today.”
Kerr’s spectacular victory in 2023 ignited a fierce rivalry with Ingebrigtsen and the pair have exchanged public comments ever since.
The 26-year-old, winner of world indoor 3,000m gold in March, was bidding to become the first British man to win Olympic 1500m gold since Sebastian Coe beat team-mate Steve Cram at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
It was Coe himself, the World Athletics president, who predicted the “sumptuous” rivalry – reminiscent of his own with Steve Ovett – could produce “a race for the ages” in Paris.
But, with the crowd enraptured as the expected tussle played out before their eyes, Kerr edging on to the shoulder of Ingebrigtsen on the final bend, their attention fixed on each other, Hocker stole in to claim a stunning, unforeseen victory.
Hocker tears up script to stun favourites
The two gold-medal favourites emerged to an incredible noise inside the Stade de France, both well backed as British and Norwegian flags waved in the stands.
Ingebrigtsen, the fourth-fastest man of all-time in the 1500m, was aiming to become the first man since Coe to win successive Olympic titles.
Kerr, who visited the stadium last year to picture what his crowning moment would look like, sought to assert himself as the undisputed current king of men’s 1500m running.
As the Scot came past his main rival in near-identical style to his world triumph at the conclusion of a spellbinding final, the British fans present in huge numbers could sense gold again, one night after Keely Hodgkinson’s 800m success.
Those fans, along with Kerr and Ingebrigtsen, had not counted on Hocker crashing the party.
At the end of a ferociously fast race, Ingebrigtsen setting the pace with a 54.9-second opening lap, it was the 23-year-old Hocker who had the legs to push on past the favourites.
Sixth in Tokyo three years ago and seventh at last year’s worlds, this was not an outcome anyone expected, with all the build-up centred on the rivalry which had seen the men’s 1500m emerge as the unmissable athletics final at Paris 2024.
Lining up with a personal best of 3:30.59, Hocker improved upon it by almost three seconds as leader Ingebrigtsen turned the screw in trademark fashion.
Against the odds, the American seized the biggest opportunity of his fledgling career, raising his arms aloft as he crossed the line to the astonishment of all, with Kerr and Ingebrigtsen in his rear-view.
Team GB’s Neil Gourley finished 10th, in a time of 3:30.88.
“Of course, I was looking for that gold medal, but it’s a better medal than I got three years ago,” Kerr said.
“It was fast, this crowd was absolutely electric. We went for it, we promised a fast and great race, and that was the result.”
Ingebrigtsen later admitted his fast start had not been intentional, and ultimately proved his downfall.
“I opened with a 54-second lap. That wasn’t the plan at all. It was at least two seconds too fast,” said Ingebrigtsen, whose winter training was disrupted by an Achilles injury.
“I was thinking about slowing down, but the next lap was almost the same speed. I ruined it for myself by going way too hard.”