Here's five things to know about Indianapolis native and Olympic gold medalist Cole Hocker
The world was shocked on Tuesday when Cole Hocker, 23, won the 1500 meter final during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games.
Here's five things to know about Cole Hocker.
Cole Hocker is from Indianapolis
He lives in Virginia now, but Hocker is an Indianapolis native who grew up running around Geist Reservoir. He also ran around Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park.
He realized how fast he was after running a 4:36 mile in eighth grade.
More: 'WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED': Fans react to Cole Hocker's thrilling win at Paris Olympics
Cole Hocker graduated from Cathedral High School
In 2019 Hocker graduated from Cathedral High School. His high school held a watch party to cheer him on and watched from afar as he won his first Olympic gold medal on Tuesday. His high school track coach was present.
As a senior, Hocker won a state title in cross-country, then the Foot Locker nationals at San Diego. In track, he won state in the 1,600 (in 4:07.00) and 800, a double not done in Indiana since 2011.
After graduation Hocker attended the University of Oregon and ran on the college track team from 2019-2021 before deciding to go pro and signing with Nike.
He stayed in Eugene, Oregon for a while before following his coach to Blacksburg, Virginia.
Paris 2024 is Cole Hocker's second Olympics
At the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games, a 20-year-old Hocker was the youngest athlete to represent the United States in an Olympic 1,500 meter run since Marty Liquori, 19, in 1968.
Hocker finished in sixth place in Tokyo.
Cole Hocker set a new Olympic record this year
Hocker broke the U.S. Olympic Trials record in the 1,500m in June and during the 1500m final on Tuesday, running 3:27.65 to set a new Olympic record. It was equivalent to a 3:44.3 mile, or 24 seconds faster than when he was winning Indiana state titles.
Running isn't Cole Hocker's only passion
When he's not training, Hocker spends his time producing music.
“There’s very few hobbies I can do in between runs,” he said. “...I can play piano and play guitar, listening in my room, recovering, hydrating. I think that’s why it’s accessible for my lifestyle.”
While at Cathedral High School, he taught himself piano and began digitally mixing music. During his freshman year at the University of Oregon, he learned to play guitar.
More: Cole Hocker runs to his own beat. So it's no surprise he finds balance with music.
Contact IndyStar correspondent David Woods at dwoods1411@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.
Katie Wiseman is a trending news reporter at IndyStar. Contact her at klwiseman@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @itskatiewiseman.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Who is Cole Hocker? Here's five things to know about the Olympian
