US Army Veteran Gets 100% Real About Grant Fisher’s Rival at World Athletics Championships

En route to the Tokyo World Championships, Grant Fisher has secured his spot among the 141 athletes representing Team USA. Alongside Nico Young and Cole Hocker, he will take on the long-distance events, continuing a season that has seen him rewrite the rules of distance running. With a staggering world indoor 5000m record of 12:44.09, Fisher has dominated the headlines and the tracks, leaving rivals in the dust. Yet, despite his meteoric rise, he has found himself sidelined as his nemesis has taken the front row seat when it comes to popularity.

We’re talking about the Diamond League finale 3000m winner, Jimmy Gressier, hailed as the man who makes the sport, especially cross country, more fun. And it’s not just us saying it. America’s very own hip-hop musician and former US Army Soldier of the Year, Melly Mike, weighed in.

On his Instagram, the artist with 198k followers shared a compilation of Gressier’s last-mile shenanigans that sealed his victories. “This guy singlehandedly makes cross country interesting,” read the caption. The Frenchman reshared the video on his Instagram story, highlighting his dominance, at least in the entertainment sector.

Well, the Diamond League finale winner is something else when he knows he is winning; his last-minute shenanigans are eagerly anticipated by many in the sport. Back in 2018, comfortably leading the European U23 cross-country men’s race in the Netherlands, Jimmy Gressier aimed to celebrate his impending victory in style. But his spectacular slide quickly backfired, turning into an awkward face-plant that left him muddied and embarrassed as rival runners closed in behind him. His wild stories don’t end there…

Back in 2023, at the French Cross Country Championships in Carhaix, Jimmy Gressier claimed victory in the senior men’s race, and guess how he crossed the finish line? He slowed down to grab a crepe from a spectator, crossing the finish line with a crepe in one hand, eating it. He has his unique way of celebrating his victory, too, which continued at the Diamonds league finale in Zurich as well.

Jimmy Gressier stormed to victory at the Diamond League Finale, clocking an electrifying 7:36.78. In a thrilling final 200m, the charismatic Frenchman edged past Grant Fisher (7:36.81) and Andreas Almgren (7:36.82) on the home straight, claiming the win spectacularly. That last few moments simply felt like a sprint. Wrapping the flag around, with sunflowers on one hand, Gressier was glowingly happy. In fact, for him, it was “the most beautiful victory of my career.”

This achievement has put him in the spotlight ahead of the Tokyo Championship, as he left his home nation just days before the event to make his presence felt on the Tokyo track before anyone else. Now, as the ball might seem to be on his court, we cannot completely ignore Fisher.

How well does Jimmy Gressier perform when competing with Grant Fisher?

The rivalry between Grant Fisher and Jimmy Gressier is nothing new in the world of track and field. Earlier in 2025, at the BU Valentine Invitational in Boston, Grant Fisher didn’t just win his race, but he obliterated his opponents at the World indoor 5000m record with a breathtaking 12:44.09. This was a world record as he broke Kenenisa Bekele’s 2004 record of 12:49.60. There, Gressier came second, clocking 12:54.92. But again, this was a personal victory for him, setting a new European indoor record in the 5000m.

Just before their Boston endeavor, both of them clashed at the Millrose Games in New York, where Fisher once again delivered a jaw-dropping performance, clocking 7:22.91 and setting a new world record in the 3000m, breaking the previous mark of 7:23.81 set by Lamecha Girma in 2023. And Gressier?

He finished third, clocking 7:30.18. But again, that was the new French national record. Clearly, both of them have been clashing with each other since the Paris Olympics, setting new standards every time.

Gressier might have his charisma through the last-minute showboating, but Fisher has the records. As of August, Fisher holds an edge over him in the head-to-head record by 3-1. Yet, with his Diamond League victory, Gressier might have the confidence; however, if he can win against Fisher, all in due time…