Hocker was boxed in on the inside with nowhere to go - just as he had been in the Olympic final a year ago. He saw a sliver of a gap open and charged through between two rivals, even turning slightly sideways to go through shoulder-first, and then broke clear to finish second.
"It was tight, I was looking for any kind of gap I could find," Hocker said after the race.
"I tried my best to get through there as cleanly as possible, but I knew everybody was going to be coming from behind really fast.
"I got a little bit trapped in there. I have been in that position a few times before and I just tried to stay calm. I trust my instincts and just try to move through as well as I can."
On this occasion, his instincts did not work out, and the US team's appeal was rejected.
Dutchman Niels Laros was the fastest qualifier for Wednesday's final, with British duo Josh Kerr and Jake Wightman - the last two world champions - also going through strongly.