Tokyo World Championships: Jimmy Gressier Claims Bronze in 5000m, Securing France’s Second Medal
21/09/2025 16:44After his stunning performance in the 10,000m last Sunday, Jimmy Gressier struck again, finishing third in the 5000m at the Tokyo World Championships. It was France’s second and final medal of the meet, a bold double in an exhilarating race won in a sprint by American Cole Hocker.
He ran with both heart and strategy, then ran straight to his supporters in the stands, the French flag draped across his shoulders. A week after being crowned world champion in the 10,000m, Jimmy Gressier, the 28-year-old from Boulogne-sur-Mer, returned to the track to add another medal to his collection, this time bronze, crossing the line in 12:59.33. In Tokyo’s packed National Stadium, moments away from a downpour, the French guy held off the final explosive push from Cole Hocker, while fending off Australia’s Ky Robinson, who finished fourth in 12:59.61.
Gressier had briefly led the first 300 meters as if marking his territory. Then the American faded into the middle of the pack, hidden behind Grant Fisher (13:00.79, 8th) and Nico Young (13:00.07, 6th). Around the last bend, Hocker surged with a sprinter’s finesse, crossing the line in 12:58.30 to claim gold. Belgium’s Isaac Kimeli resisted as long as possible (12:58.78), but nothing could match the Indiana runner’s speed—this podium became the fastest in World Championships history since 1999.
This 5000m final also made history for France, with three athletes reaching the final—a first. Yann Schrub finished ninth in 13:01.34, proving his consistency. Étienne Daguinos, making his world championship debut, came 14th in 13:11.72, admitting, “I’m a little disappointed. My goal is to be medal-contending in two years.” For France’s rising stars, rubbing shoulders with the global elite remains a crucial step.
| Gressier: Making History at Full Speed
Already the French record holder in the 5000m (12:51.59), Gressier didn’t just win a second medal in Tokyo: he became the first Frenchman to podium twice in the 5000m at a World Championships since legend Alain Mimoun, the 1952 Olympic silver medalist. “I’m still writing history: going after two medals in such a highly competitive sport… I’ve moved mountains,” he said.
This rare feat places him among giants like Mo Farah (doubles in 2013 and 2015) and Kenenisa Bekele (2009). With two medals from the same edition, the Adrien Taouji-trained athlete joins the pantheon of French athletics alongside Christine Arron (two bronze medals in 2005 on 100m and 200m), Ladji Doucouré (two golds in 110m hurdles and 4x100m relay in 2005), and Eunice Barber (gold in long jump and silver in heptathlon in 2003; two silvers in the same events in 2005).
#WCHTokyo25｜🗣️"En venant ici, j'y croyais plus que personne ! J'ai ressenti sur ces championnats que les qualités mentales étaient au-dessus des qualités physiques."
La réaction spontanée de JIMMY GRESSIER, doublement médaillé 😍
📺 Suivez le direct : https://t.co/gblUGFnrYM pic.twitter.com/55zmrZLQFp
— francetvsport (@francetvsport) September 21, 2025
“Coming here, I believed in myself more than anyone else,” continued Jimmy from Boulogne. “But it still had to be done. Winning the 10,000m reassured me. I felt my legs were a bit tired… I’m very proud of myself. The final straight comes down to tiny margins. I think if Cole Hocker hadn’t shot past me like a rocket, I could have caught Isaac Kimeli because I still had a little left in the tank. But when Hocker passed at that insane speed, it just broke my legs.”
His ability to handle back-to-back races owes much to his cross-country background. Multiple European U23 titles in mud and wind forged both his steel-like endurance and a mindset tempered in adversity. Tokyo proved it: he can now dominate the pack and withstand the most brutal sprint finishes.
The 28-year-old from Boulogne-sur-Mer, who grew up in the same neighborhood as Franck Ribéry, already carries the aura of someone writing a new chapter in French distance running. Zizou will have the chance to congratulate him a second time.
| Hocker’s Revenge
For Cole Hocker, this gold was more than a victory—it was revenge. Disqualified in the 1500m semifinals for a hard elbow, the 24-year-old American turned his frustration into raw energy. Alongside compatriots Fisher and Young, he set a blistering pace early, backed by Ethiopia’s Hagos Gebrhiwet (13:07.02, 13th). Yet no one could match his jet-like finish. “I wanted to end the World Championships on my terms, especially after how I’d prepared all year. I felt robbed in the 1500m. Today, I had my chance, the legs to take the lead. I had many runners ahead, but I felt strong enough to pass them one by one. Our last 5k champion, Bernard Lagat, was someone I grew up watching. Winning this gold is huge,” Hocker said in the mixed zone.
#WCHTokyo25｜IL EST REDOUTABLE 🙌
🇫🇷 Jimmy Gressier décroche une nouvelle médaille, en bronze cette fois-ci !!!! 🥉
C'est l’Américain Cole Hocker qui remporte le 5000m (12’58’’30) devant le Belge Isaac Kimeli.
📺 Suivez le direct : https://t.co/gblUGFnrYM pic.twitter.com/4b0NYsTOHE
— francetvsport (@francetvsport) September 21, 2025
| Absences, Injuries, and Missed Opportunities
The race also reflected who was missing. Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda were absent for personal reasons. Yomif Kejelcha didn’t start, Kuma Girma was injured mid-race, Dutch prodigy Niels Laros dropped out at 4000m, and European record-holder Andreas Almgren was eliminated in the heats. Even reigning world champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen, barely qualifying for the final, tried to lead three laps out before fading to 10th in 13:02.00. Tokyo reshaped the hierarchy.
With two medals for Gressier and three Frenchmen in the final, the depth of France’s middle-distance talent has never been clearer. The young man from Pas-de-Calais has already made history, yet he keeps his eyes on an even bigger goal: becoming, like Farah or Bekele, the master of the 5000m–10,000m double. The story is just beginning.
Dorian VUILLET
Journalist
