Drafting, pacing, priming—potential factors for winning the 1500 m men final at the 2024 Olympics

Abstract Background Considering the season bests before the Olympics as well as individual critical speed, the question arose as to why the obviously fastest runner of the 2024 season, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, did not become Olympic champion over 1500 m. Besides the fact that the winner of the race improved his personal best by a huge jump of 2.9 s, the answer may lie in race tactics favoring a win by Cole Hocker. Methods To answer this question, a race and performance analysis of Cole Hocker (winner), Josh Kerr (second place), and Jakob Ingebrigtsen (fourth place; world lead 2024) as well as a literature search were carried out to narratively review potential factors influencing middle-distance race performance in elite athletes that may be modulated by tactical decisions. Results Based on the data of Kyle (1979) and assuming a distance of 2 m to the front runner at a running speed of 7.2 m s −1 , an approximately 3% higher energy consumption can be assumed for the front runner Jakob Ingebrigtsen compared to the drafting runners. This corresponds to a theoretical time loss of 1.0 to 1.7 s per 400 m for the front runner. Further, empirical data and models of fatigue support the view of a negative effect of a very fast start, as realized by Jakob Ingebrigtsen, on middle-distance performance. Conclusion On the home straight, Cole Hocker outpaced Ingebrigtsen (13.84 s) by almost a second in the last 100 m with 13.05 s, probably—in addition to his top form—because of his well-preserved anaerobic capacity and avoidance of premature fatigue through drafting, a smoother start, and saving extra distance by also running the last curve on the inner bend.