0.08 seconds. That was all that separated Jonah Koech and Ethan Strand in the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships men’s 1500m final as Koech edged ahead to claim the title. More than a year later, however, that result has been overturned after Koech accepted a USADA ban, leaving Strand set to inherit the U.S. title. With the result now being rewritten, Hobbs Kessler, who finished fourth in that race, reacted to the news by sharing a message for Strand after the title changed hands.

On August 10, Olympian Kessler re-shared Citius Mag’s Instagram post about Koech’s suspension on his own Instagram Story, adding his reaction to the news.

“Really disappointing… Bummer for everyone involved,” he wrote before congratulating Strand on his new status as U.S. champion.

Kessler then added a personal message to Strand: “Sorry the moment was taken from you dawg.”

Kessler had been directly involved in that race at Hayward Field in Eugene, where the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships were held from July 31 to August 3. In the men’s 1500m, Koech ran 3:30.17 to take the title ahead of Strand, who finished in 3:30.25. Olympic champion Cole Hocker was third in 3:30.37, while Kessler crossed the line fourth in 3:31.12.

The race was especially dramatic because Koech had to make up considerable ground over the final lap. He went from seventh to first and held off Strand by just eight hundredths of a second. For Strand, second place was still a major moment. His 3:30.25 was a personal best, and he finished ahead of Hocker, the reigning Olympic 1500m champion. 

Meanwhile, Kessler was just outside the three spots. His fourth-place result allowed Koech, Strand and Hocker to secure three U.S. spots at the World Championships. However, the outcome has since altered over a year later due to the anti-doping case against Koech.

Now, USADA revealed Koech had received three years of ineligibility for an anti-doping rule violation for blood doping. The case centered on his Athlete Biological Passport, and his blood levels were extremely unusual and indicative of blood doping.

On July 30, 2025, Koech provided a blood sample that later became the first abnormal sample in his Athlete Biological Passport. The sample was collected before he went on to win the men’s 1500m title at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Days later, on August 8, Koech provided another blood sample. USADA said the July 30 and August 8 samples showed values consistent with blood doping. Additional blood samples were collected afterward to provide more data for the Athlete Biological Passport and allow the expert panel to assess Koech’s blood profile over time.

As of February 2026, the expert panel submitted an Adverse Passport Finding to the USADA based on the available data. The panel determined that Koech’s blood profile matched blood doping. Koech was then provisionally suspended on July 17, 2026, and later went on to be ineligible for three years. The sanction was made public on August 10 by USADA with a suspension that will last through July 17, 2029.

The violation was sanctioned at four years, but on condition that Koech admitted the violation and accepted the sanction within 20 days, he received a one-year reduction.