Josh Kerr stated that the surprising result of the spectacular 1500m final, in which Kerr won the silver medal, was unaffected by the pre-race hype surrounding his rivalry with Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
Ingebrigtsen, viewed as Kerr’s sole viable rival for the top spot, was eliminated early and placed fourth, while Kerr broke the existing British national record.
Although Kerr was at one point favored to win on the back straight, he did not attribute the outcome to his high-profile competition with Ingebrigtsen. Instead, he credited American Cole Hocker, who unexpectedly won the gold medal. Kerr has no regrets, even though their intense rivalry prevented their much-anticipated battle from turning into the ultimate showdown.
He remarked, “I’m sure this story will go on, stories will be stories. In the next few days, remarks will be made. We only have this opportunity every four years, so it’s a serious environment. By winning a medal, I hoped to become the greatest person on the planet. Not only am I competing in these tournaments every time, but I’m also performing at a level that makes me proud. My best performance to yet is this one.
“I shook his hand, but that was it,” he said in response to a question about whether he had spoken to Ingebrigtsen following the race. He would be upset with today, I’m sure of it.
In a time of 3 minutes 27.79 seconds, Kerr finished the exhilarating and challenging race regret-free. He stated, “I am very proud of my performance today, even though my goals were clearly defined.” “By intent on what was in my control, I ran the most successful and fastest tactical race of 1500 meters of my entire life.”
The 23-year-old Hocker finished over three seconds faster than his best performance, but it was still insufficient to beat him and set a personal best. “This journey isn’t over yet,” remarked Kerr, who improved on his Tokyo bronze medal. Today, I truly desired it. I’m hungry now and eager for more because of this.”
Admitting that his plan of leaving too soon was ineffective, Ingebrigtsen held himself responsible for his performance. Eventually, though, it appeared that he was trying to push Kerr out, as bronze medallist Yared Nuguse and Hocker quickly overtook him.
The Norwegian finished the first lap two seconds faster than expected, which surprised him. He clarified, saying, “I felt great, so I picked up the pace a bit.” He went on, “It was thrilling to see that I had an early lead.” I didn’t anticipate this, of course. If anything happens, I am entirely responsible for myself.”
His rivalry with Kerr, he said, had no bearing on his evaluation of the competition. The matter was insignificant. That I ruined the race for myself was what mattered most.
Noting that it was not surprising that he missed the podium, Kerr acknowledged that his opponent had made a bad choice. It is a risky move to be traveling below the world record speed without a pacemaker. It’s obvious that he pushed himself a little too much since in the final 200 meters, he could be seen scanning the area to make sure we were still there. Although the daring tactic didn’t succeed today, it still made for an exciting race.
Putting his attention on Kerr and Ingebrigtsen helped Hocker, who placed sixth in Tokyo. It makes sense that they were in the headlines. It might sometimes be beneficial to stay beneath the radar. Everyone recognized that I was a competitor, I believe. Once again, the noise seemed insignificant, and I believe I took advantage of that.”
Finishing in tenth place, Neil Gourley from Glasgow stated he thought a different person would win instead of Ingebrigtsen and Kerr.
“Given the events of recent years, I believe everyone expected one of those two to win,” commented Gourley. Nevertheless, as an athlete, you observe specific behaviors in particular competitions. I suppose it was more of an appraisal of Cole’s recent performances, though some of it might have been influenced by the excitement.”
