Josh Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen feud explained as pair showdown in Olympic 1500m final
dailyrecord.co.ukJosh Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen are set to reignite their intense Olympic rivalry in the men's 1500m final on Tuesday night.The event will feature eight runners, including top athletes such as Cole Hocker from the USA, Italy's Pietro Arese, and Stefan Nillessen of the Netherlands.
But the spotlight is firmly on the Team GB and Norway stars. The pair have been competing against each other since 2016, with their rivalry intensifying at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.Despite being the underdog, Scottish runner Kerr outpaced the Tokyo 2020 gold medallist with a seasonal best time of 3:29.38, beating Ingebrigtsen's 3:29.65.
Ingebrigtsen, 23, was not pleased with the loss, blaming illness for his performance and boldly stating he could have won "blindfolded".He said: "I would have beaten him in that race blindfolded," and added: "But it's good that people run better than they have done before." Kerr responded sharply to Ingebrigtsen's comments: "I'm like, 'You've won so many races, you ran fantastic all season that you're just on this - you must be surrounded by so many yes-men that you don't realise that you have weaknesses'." He continued, highlighting what he perceives as Ingebrigtsen's vulnerability: "And I think that was part of his downfall," reports the Express.
Kerr concluded with a message for his rival: "If he doesn't realise that he's got some real major weaknesses, then he will not win the 1500m gold medal next year.
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