Grant Fisher, Abdi Nur Squeeze Down Final Three Laps, Prevent Cole Hocker From Kicking Past Them; NCAA Champion Parker Wolfe Takes Third But Olympic Status Is Unclear

By David Woods for DyeStat

John Nepolitan photos

EUGENE, Ore. – In distance running, there are kickers and there are grinders. It is important to know your identity, and identities of those you are racing.

Grant Fisher figured that out in bookend victories at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, winning the 10,000 meters on Day 1 and the 5,000 on Day 10.

If he comes up short of a medal at the Paris Olympics, it will not because he does not know who he is or what he can do.

“It’s going to take even more to medal, of course,” he said. “There’s a lot of great athletes out there in the world, a lot of great athletes who missed out on the team today. They’re hard teams to make.”

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It is not often a front-runner is passed on the last lap and regroups to win, but that is exactly what he did Sunday in the 5,000. Abdihamid Nur seized the lead on the backstretch, and Fisher let him. Fisher could have tried to hold him off, he said, but reasoned it was not wise “in that moment.”

Know who you are.

Fisher reclaimed the lead down the stretch to complete the distance double, setting a Trials record of 13:08.85 to Nur’s 13:09.01.

Twenty-year-old Parker Wolfe, the NCAA Division 1 champion from North Carolina, seized the last spot in 13:10.75. Fourth was also a collegian, NCAA cross country champion Graham Blanks of Harvard, in 13:12.61.

Cole Hocker, winner of Monday’s 1,500 meters, faded from top-three contention with three laps left and was seventh in 13:20.99.

“His skill set is very different from mine,” Fisher said. “So going into a 5K, my plan was to turn it into my race. Because if I ran his race, he’s probably going to beat me. He’s very dangerous over the last lap, the last 800 meters. But if I can get away from him, that’s a better shot for me.”

Fisher broke Galen Rupp’s 2012 Trials record of 13:22.67, running 3:59.97 for the final 1,600 meters. The last 1,200 meters were timed in 2:58.85. When Fisher went, Nur was the only one to follow.

“I was just ready for any situation,” Nur said.

The 25-year-old has a quintessential immigrant story. Born in Somalia as one of eight children, his family moved to Kenya and then Egypt. The family emigrated to the United States in 2006, living in New Mexico, Minnesota and finally Arizona.

He was a high school soccer player in Phoenix until a near-fatal car collision caused torn ligaments in his knee. During rehab, he went out for cross country to restore endurance and soon learned he was better at running than at soccer.

He became a state champion and, after improving his grades, transferred from junior college to Northern Arizona. Under coach Mike Smith, he emerged as a star in 2021 by winning NCAA indoor titles at 3,000 and 5,000 meters. At the past two World Championships, he finished 11th and 12th in the 5,000.

“Coach Smith taught me to be ready for big stages and big moments,” Nur said. “I trust coach Smith, man. We’ve had a wild journey.”

Fisher, 27, of Grand Blanc, Mich., was coached at Stanford by Chris Miltenberg, who now coaches Wolfe at North Carolina.

Wolfe, a Gatorade national winner in cross country in high school from Denver, lacks the Olympic standard of 13:05 and said he had “no idea” of his status. He came to the Trials 58th on the Road to Paris list, and 42 are allowed in the 5,000.

“Coach said if we got to this point and I got in top three, blame him if I don’t go,” Wolfe said.

Hocker is going to Paris, albeit not in the 5,000. He said he doubled back into the 5,000 because there wouldn’t be another such chance until 2028.

“I was confident I could make the team,” he said. “I knew that they had to take it out fast to get me out of it. They didn’t take it out fast but kind of ratcheted it down. They did exactly what they needed to do to keep me out of it.

“I’m not letting that take anything away from the 15. I’m still super happy with how I raced this entire 10 days and leaving with a trip to Paris still.”

Fisher became the fourth to win a 5K/10K double at the Trials. The others were Rupp in 2012, Curt Stone in 1952 and Don Lash in 1936.

In global finals, Fisher was fifth in the 10,000 at the 2021 Olympics, and fourth in the 10,000 and sixth in the 5,000 in the 2022 World Championships at Hayward Field.

Contact David Woods at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.