Gold medalist Cole Hocker shares about Olympic victory and giving one’s all

When Cole Hocker crossed the finish line of the men’s 1500-meter at the 2024 Paris Olympics and was presented with the gold medal, it was a milestone moment of seeing what happens when he gives his career and God 100 percent. Speaking in the Vines Center during Friday morning’s Convocation, he encouraged Liberty University students and guests for College for a Weekend (CFAW) and Family Weekend to give their all toward achieving what God has for them.

Hocker set an Olympic record of 3:27.65 in Paris, becoming the fourth American in Olympic history to win gold in the 1500. Before the Paris Olympics, Hocker earned four NCAA titles during his stint at the University of Oregon. The Nike-sponsored athlete turned professional in 2021 and won a silver medal in the 1500 at the 2024 World Athletic Indoor Championships in March.

Convocation opened with a brief performance by TAYA, who will be returning to the Vines Center on Friday night for a concert at 8 p.m.

Walking onto the Convocation stage to chants of “U-S-A” from the crowd, Hocker sat down with Vice President of Spiritual Development Josh Rutledge and two assistant coaches from Liberty’s track & field team, Isaac Wendland and Heather Zealand. Much of the conversation focused on the race in Paris and Hocker’s mentality before, during, and after his highlight finish.

Hocker’s win was an upset, with the competition originally expected to be a two-man race between Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Great Britain’s Josh Kerr. Hocker spent much of the race in the middle of the pack. But in the final 200 meters or so, he made his move and pushed into position where he was confident he could earn a medal.

“Going into the race, I knew all of the work that I put in and that I was fit enough and mentally trained enough to execute on race day,” Hocker said. “I knew I had to have a really special race, and then something even more. The entire race was a series of decisions and fully committing. Before I knew it, I was 200 meters from the finish line. I stopped thinking about what it is (an Olympic final) and who I’m racing against, and it was just (on) instinct.”

In those last 200 meters, Hocker saw an opportunity to pass Kerr and Ingebrigtsen close, but he recovered and continued until the inside lane opened up, and he took it through the finish line.

“I said it in my post-race interview that I felt like God carried me through the line. I feel like, in watching (the race), it’s so obvious because that doesn’t happen very often that you get to reset and recharge at that pace,” he said. “That was not just me on the home stretch.”

He attributed his come-from-behind victory to a quick thought he had leading up to the event.

“When this race came around, I told myself, ‘I’m going to focus on myself.’ At the end of the day, I’m the only one standing at that start line, all of my supporters have gotten me to that point, the Lord has gotten me to the start line healthy… and all I can do is run my race,” he said. “In that last 100 meters, I saw the two (Ingebrigtsen and Kerr) looking at each other, and I thought, ‘I cannot believe it; they’re focused on each other and they’re going to miss me,’ and that’s exactly what happened.”

But his success did not come from one day of effort and strategy, he said, emphasizing the role that discipline plays in the career of an athlete.

“You can’t depend on motivation; you have to depend on discipline,” he said. “It’s discipline that goes toward consistency and building. I constantly remind myself of the discipline and who is supporting me; how much my parents have done to put me in this position, all of my coaches leading up to this, my current coach, my girlfriend. I feel like it’s my duty to the Lord to fully commit to something and give it my all.”

Hocker encouraged the audience to do the same with their respective “races” in life.

“For (every) Olympian, the paths are all different, but everyone is giving their sport 100 percent,” he said. “I would encourage everyone to give something their 100 percent. Just go 100 percent on something, and you don’t know what doors that will open up and what opportunities that will lead to.”

Convocation closed with Track & Field Head Coach Lance Bingham praying over Hocker, asking God to strengthen him mentally and in his faith as he continues his career.