Britain’s Kerr stuns Ingebrigtsen to win world championship 1500m gold
At the end of a world 1500m final of unflinching intensity and staggering bloody-mindedness, Josh Kerr began to beat his chest like a silverback. The message was clear. He was the man now. As the cameras panned to the 11 vanquished rivals behind him, including the Olympic champion and huge pre-race favourite Jakob Ingebrigtsen, it was impossible to argue.
This was a world title won on the track, in the trenches, perhaps even in the mind. Last year Kerr’s great friend Jake Wightman had put Ingebrigtsen to the sword by pestering him until 200m to go before driving past him. The 25year-old from Edinburgh followed that almost to the letter.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Kerr, who won Olympic bronze behind the victorious Norwegian in Tokyo in 2021. “It’s quite an overwhelming experience. But I just threw my whole 16 years of this sport into that last 200m and didn’t let up until the end.”
Kerr has always talked a good game, so when he claimed on the eve of the 1500m final that Ingebrigtsen was “human” despite him having a personal best nearly two seconds quicker than the field, few took Kerr seriously.
But could anyone blame him? Ingebrigtsen was so precocious that at 16 he became the youngest person to break the sub-four-minute barrier for the mile. At 20, he became the Olympic champion in Tokyo. And this year he has beaten all comers.
Yet it transpired that the Scot with the confidence to wear Oakley shades had forecasting skills worthy of the Oracle at Delphi. But what an almighty struggle it was. Ingebrigtsen likes to apply a simple but devilishly effective plan when over 1500m. Take the lead on the second or third lap, and squeeze all his rivals until their pips squeak.
Kerr kept resisting, no matter how much it hurt. Whenever the 22-year-old tried to accelerate, he found a blue British vest on his shoulder. At 200m Kerr took the lead. By 100m Ingebrigtsen had it back – by 0.02 sec. But when Kerr kicked again on the final straight, victory was finally his.
“It was fast early but I stayed calm,” said Kerr after taking gold in 3min 29.38sec, ahead of Ingebrigtsen and the fast-finishing Narve Nordas. “I knew I was capable of a world championship gold medal and with 50m to go I kind of broke him. “It was just about holding form at that point. Quick cadence. I knew I just had to stay strong. I’ve had bronze but gold is a lot sweeter.”
This was also a race that was about psychology as well as physiology. Afterwards Kerr revealed that he had chosen the same kit as Wightman last year in a bid to spook out Ingebrigtsen. “I’m not saying I wore the specific one to bring back some nightmares,” he said, smiling. “But I needed every single ounce I had. This was the vest I chose.”
Asked about the last 200m, he said: “Obviously there’s a very big reminiscence of Wightman in there. I was battling with Jakob pretty hard. You can see from my face that I am throwing everything I had at this guy. We were both fighting. I wanted this for my whole life and I didn’t want [to give it up]. I looked up at the screen and I didn’t see anyone coming and I made sure I pumped all the way home. I am so happy.”
Ingebrigtsen later revealed he was sick, and had woken up with a sore throat. “I felt around 88%,” he said. “If I was 92%, maybe I would have won. But I wasn’t myself today.”
Last year Kerr upset some of his teammates by claiming that he was not looking to get his face on any yoghurt pots – a reference to the fact that UK Athletics were sponsored by Müller – or get famous. “I’m here to race,” he said. On a hot and sweaty night in Budapest he proved as good as his word.
Kerr’s performance was immediately hailed by Wightman, who was unable to compete in Budapest because of a foot injury. “Josh is like the Terminator. His internal confidence is crazy.”
The other British athlete in the race, Neil Gourley, was also full of praise for Kerr after finishing ninth. “I could tell this was coming,” he said. “The way he has carried himself, the way he has been looking, he has been full of confidence.”
Afterwards Kerr revealed that his plans for 2023 had began to formulate even before he crossed the line in a disappointing fifth at last year’s world championships.
“All of this will be ingrained in my mind for a very long time,” he said. “All the hard work, all the early mornings, all the late nights, all the sacrifices. I don’t live in the same country as my family, I don’t live in the same state as my fiancee. I’m constantly moving around and all it is is to be the best 1500m runner in the world.” And now he is.