Kerr prepares to face Ingebrigtsen at the Ultimate Championships in Hungary
Scottish athlete Josh Kerr said he has no intention of losing to Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the 1,500-metre race at the Ultimate Championships in Budapest, Hungary. It will be the athletes’ first head-to-head meeting in two years.
As reported by Cyprus Mail, Ingebrigtsen had previously criticised Kerr’s decision to skip the European Championships last month. The Norwegian said that athletes who do not compete at major tournaments are “destroying” the sport. Kerr did not comment on those remarks in detail.
Rivalry over 1,500 metres
Kerr said he was pleased that Ingebrigtsen is returning to competition. He called his rival one of the greatest runners of all time over 1,500 and 5,000 metres and said he was looking forward to their race. At the same time, the Scot stressed that he does not intend to lose.
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Kerr is having one of the most successful seasons of his career. In London in July, he broke the 27-year-old world record in the mile, clocking 3 minutes 42.66 seconds and surpassing Hicham El Guerrouj’s previous mark by 0.47 seconds. Kerr then won Commonwealth Games gold in the mile.
Preparing for the Ultimate Championships
Kerr skipped Diamond League meets in Zurich and Brussels in order to peak for the Ultimate Championships. He explained that athletics is an individual sport, and each athlete plans their season independently and must take injury risks into account.
The World Athletics competition will run from Friday to Sunday, with a prize fund of $10 million — the largest sum in athletics history. The winner of each event will receive $150,000. Kerr said it is more important for him to establish himself as the best 1,500-metre runner of his generation, although he welcomed the increased earning opportunities for athletes. The men’s 1,500-metre final will take place on Sunday, while Ingebrigtsen will also compete in the 5,000 metres on Friday.
