August 6th 2024.
Josh Kerr made history at the Paris Olympics by setting a new national record and winning the silver medal in the men's 1500m event. His impressive performance was met with praise from Michael Johnson, who believed that Kerr should be happy with his silver medal despite being caught up in Jakob Ingebrigtsen's tactics during the race.
Kerr had been one of Team GB's top contenders for an athletics gold medal this summer, with the 26-year-old hoping to improve upon his bronze medal from the Tokyo Olympics three years ago. The anticipation for the final was high, with Sebastian Coe calling it a "race for the ages" between Kerr and his rival Ingebrigtsen. And it certainly lived up to the hype.
In a shocking turn of events, the USA's Cole Hocker crossed the finish line first, breaking the Olympic record with a time of 3:27.65. Ingebrigtsen, who had been engaged in a war of words with Kerr, started the race at a blistering pace, challenging the rest of the field at the lively Stade de France. However, he had used up most of his energy by the final bend and fell to fourth place, with Hocker, Kerr, and Yared Nuguse overtaking him to claim the top three spots.
Johnson, a former world-record holder in the 200m and 400m, commented on the race shortly after it ended, saying, "I was going crazy up here because we've been talking in the US for quite some time about when our middle-distance runners are going to be able to win major medals." He was impressed by Hocker's tactical race and believed that Kerr may have been too caught up in Ingebrigtsen's early surge, which could have cost him the gold medal.
Johnson continued, "In the end, Ingebrigtsen was trying to push people off on the outside and just opened the door even more. But Ingebrigtsen will be the most disappointed of them all. I think Josh will be happy with his silver, happy that he got back on that podium again. He wants gold, he feels like he can get it at some point but I think he'll be happy at the end."
Speaking to BBC Sport after the race, Kerr expressed his pride in his performance and thanked his loved ones for their support leading up to the final. "Look, I can't walk away from this championship disappointed," he said. "Obviously, I had stated my goal, but I put out a performance today that I am extremely proud of. I focused on what I could control and ran the fastest and best tactical 1500m of my life. I can't worry about what others do in the results; otherwise, I'll never be satisfied."
Kerr, who won the bronze medal in the 1500m at the Tokyo Olympics, was aiming for gold this time but was content with improving to silver. He acknowledged that it's part of being an athlete to always strive for more and that his performance today will only make him hungrier for future competitions.
When asked about Ingebrigtsen's fast start, Kerr replied, "Yeah, I knew we had to weather a storm early, keep calm and make sure that we were staying emotionally as locked in as we could. Then, with 600m to go, I really felt like I had quite a lot left and coming off that last bend I obviously got pushed out a little bit and just had to work hard." He also noted that it's challenging to keep track of everything happening in the final 100m of a race.
Despite not winning the gold, Kerr remained positive and grateful for his performance and contribution to Team GB's medal count. "I'm 26, and this journey is far from over. I really wanted it today, and obviously, I didn't get it. It makes me hungry and ready for more, and I'm just glad I was able to add to Team GB's medal count today," he said.
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