Kerr looks to sparkle in Diamond League as he makes rare UK appearance
Josh Kerr is on a mission. To shine in Oregon in July, where the Olympic bronze medallist has his heart set on becoming a world champion.
First, he concedes, he needs to secure his spot. To be primed for the scrap, he will look to sparkle on only his second appearance on the Diamond League, today in Birmingham.
The Seattle-based Scot, 24, gets a top-class test in a rare UK appearance at the revamped Alexander Stadium where he plans to also hunt Commonwealth Games gold this summer.
Building on his podium push in Tokyo, Kerr has already added the European mile and British 1500 metres record indoors to his collection in 2022. But after racing mostly Stateside since leaving Edinburgh at the age of 17, Kerr wants tougher competition closer to home to ensure he remains the British No 1 – and then hunt down the world.
“I don't think I can ever take my spot in 1500 for granted,” he said. “It's such a deep event.
And every year, it surprises me with new people coming through.
“It used to be like ‘you ran the standard, you just made the team.’ And so on the day, you're like, 'well, I wish it was like that'. But before and after, I'm like, ‘you know what I really enjoy it because it means that I have to turn up with my A-game.’ I'm always challenged on the UK circuit, I'm challenged way more in the UK circuit than I am ever in the US Circuit. So that's what I love and enjoy.”
Elsewhere in Birmingham, Dina Asher-smith will meet Olympic medallists Gabby Thomas and Shericka Jackson over 100m while Keely Hodgkinson goes in the 800m and Katarina Johnson-thompson in the high jump.
While Laura Muir returns from a back injury sustained in late-winter in the women’s 1500m with training partner Jemma Reekie among her foes in a rare switch-up from the 800.
“I'm still definitely an 800 runner,” Reekie, fourth at the Tokyo Olympics, said. “It’s probably more just open up and see where we’re at. I’ve got probably a long season so it's nice to mix it up at the start.”