New world champion Josh Kerr knew he would break Jakob Ingebrigtsen as he stormed to 1500 metres gold and revealed he played mind games with the Norwegian.
The Scot clocked three minutes and 29.38 seconds to stun Ingebrigtsen, forcing the overwhelming favourite to settle for silver at the World Championships in Budapest.
Kerr emulated Jake Wightman’s win in Eugene last year and, with the injured Wightman missing in Hungary, Ingebrigtsen – second in 2022 – was denied the world crown again.
“I felt him break and I just needed to stay strong,” said Kerr, who adds to his Olympics bronze.
“I was looking up at the screen making sure no one was coming on my outside but with 50m to go I knew I had it.
“I felt there was a slight weakness with 200m to go, I had to be in lane two for a minute but I’m going to fight all the way to the end, regardless whether I broke him or not.
“I’ve been in four major championship finals and come away with only a bronze. I knew it was my turn. When you’re the underdog you have to come and take what’s yours, you’re not handed anything. It was about going there and taking what’s mine.”
Kerr, fifth last year, admitted he tried to psyche Ingebrigtsen out on Wednesday after wearing a similar vest to the one Wightman wore in Eugene.
“I’m not saying I wore the specific one to bring back some nightmares but I needed every single ounce I had. This was the vest I chose,” he added.
Wightman, watching from the BBC studio at the National Athletics Centre, labelled his Edinburgh AC club-mate the Terminator after victory.
“I like it (the Terminator nickname), back-to-back world champions, it’s not something anyone has ever done before,” said Kerr.
“Especially in back-to-back years because it’s not been possible. Great Britain has something in the water. We have to keep producing world champions.”
Ingebrigtsen made his move inside the final lap, only for Kerr to retaliate with around 200m remaining – almost a carbon copy of Wightman’s win in America.
Ingebrigtsen was unable to fight back down the final straight as Kerr held off his challenge to win his first major global title.
The 25-year-old, who trains in Seattle, also revealed he cuts off communication in the build up to the Championships to focus on his goal.
“I don’t have my phone for about two weeks beforehand. Only about eight people or so,” he said. “I’m not a big social media guy when it comes to World Champs.
“You just have to have belief in yourself. My fiancee has my phone if anything big comes up, I have my other phone for the people who are massively important in this process.
“It’s been the same phone since 2021, it’s about making sure I’m focusing on the plan. All I have is the Premier League app, which I’m doing incredibly well on, and Duolingo as I’m trying to learn Spanish.”
Wightman, who has been forced to miss the Championships with a foot problem, saluted Kerr.
“Our little club in Edinburgh has had two back-to-back world champions,” he said.
“That’s hard to believe. Jakob Ingebrigtsen is going to start hating us Brits ain’t he? I think Josh Kerr knew what to do there. You saw when he came on Jakob’s shoulder.
“He showed so much promise for so long, that medal in Tokyo was just the start of this. When Josh Kerr gets it right and when he’s running well, he absolutely flies. I think Ingebrigtsen underestimated how well he was running at the moment.”
Ingebrigtsen said he had a sore throat this week and was feeling “not good”, adding: “I just wasn’t good enough.”
Asked how he views Kerr as a global rival now, he added: “It’s totally different. We have been competitors for a long time, he is a great runner but it is what it is.”
Neil Gourley, who finished ninth in the final, said: “I am really happy for Josh, I could tell this was coming, I knew he would be right up there, the margins are fine at this level.
“I knew he would give Jakob a run for his money this week. The way he has carried himself, the way he has been looking, he has been full of confidence.”
Meanwhile, Great Britain’s Molly Caudery finished fifth in the pole vault, victory shared by Australia’s Nina Kennedy and the USA’s Katie Moon, with a personal best of 4.75m, while Karsten Warholm took the 400m hurdles title.
Miami announced as host city for second Grand Slam Track event from May 2-4
Grand Slam Track™, the new global home of professional track competition, launched earlier this year by four-time US Olympic Champion Michael Johnson, today officially announced that Miami, Florida, will be the host city for the second of the four Slam events, when Grand Slam Track™ competition begins in 2025.
The Miami Slam will take place at Ansin Sports Complex, in Miramar, Florida, on May 2nd, 3rd, and 4th 2025, welcoming the fastest racers in the world to compete for huge prizes.
With Miami joining Los Angeles and Kingston, Jamaica, the one additional remaining location will be announced later this week.
“South Florida knows how to host big events, and that’s exactly what we’re bringing with Grand Slam Track™,” said Michael Johnson, the league’s founder and Commissioner.
“This region has a real passion for sports, and I’m confident the energy here will make it a memorable experience for both the racers and the fans. We’re building something special, and Miami is going to be a huge part of that.”
With its world-renowned sports culture, South Florida is set to provide the ideal stage for Grand Slam Track™.
Nugent excited to compete at Grand Slam Track opener in front of home crowd
Jamaica’s national 100m hurdles record holder Ackera Nugent couldn’t hide her excitement when she found out that the first ever Grand Slam Track event would take place on home soil in Jamaica.
Nugent found out for the first time during an interview with Grand Slam Track founder and four-time Olympic Gold medallist Michael Johnson published on Grand Slam Track's social media pages on Monday.
The 22-year-old Olympic and World Championship finalist is one of three Jamaican athletes, alongside Roshawn Clarke and Rushell Clayton, to sign to the inaugural season of Grand Slam Track as racers.
The first of four slam events will take place at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica, a stone’s throw away from Nugent’s alma mater, Excelsior High School.
“That’s a great feeling being on home soil,” Nugent said in the interview.
“I know I need to focus on the meet but the food, getting a free trip home, having my mom being able to see me, not only at trials but at another very big meet competing against ladies from different areas and countries, that would be really good,” added the reigning national champion.
The 2023 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor sprint hurdles champion also believes this experience will be good for fans in Jamaica who will get to see athletes that they never thought they would see compete live.
“I feel like the nation itself would really like that and they would come out and support because they’re going to be able to see athletes that really did not ever come to the country but they’re fans of,” she said.
Nugent is coming off a bittersweet 2024 season. On one hand, she experienced disappointment at the Paris Olympics in August, failing to finish the final.
On the other hand, she established a new national record of 12.24, the joint fourth-fastest time ever, at the Rome Diamond League later that month.
Roshawn Clarke describes signing with Grand Slam Track as a dream come true
Roshawn Clarke, one of Jamaica’s most promising young track talents, has achieved a major milestone in his career by signing with Grand Slam Track™, fulfilling a long-held dream of working under the guidance of track legend Michael Johnson. Clarke, who set the World U20 record of 47.34 in the 400m hurdles, joins fellow Jamaicans Rushell Clayton and Ackera Nugent in the newly launched league, becoming one of 37 racers already signed for the inaugural 2025 season.
Clarke’s talent and consistent performances, including his appearance in the 400m hurdles final at the 2024 Paris Olympics, made him an attractive candidate for Grand Slam Track despite his heartbreaking stumble at the final hurdle in Paris. Founder Michael Johnson, speaking at Monday's announcement at the Jamaica Pegasus that Jamaica will host the inaugural meet from April 4-, 2025, praised Clarke, saying, “One of the things for us as a league is finding the new talent, new stars of tomorrow, and Roshawn certainly represents that. As the World U20 record holder, his excellence and what he represents are exactly what we want in our athletes. We are very excited to have Roshawn as one of our first racers.”
For Clarke, the signing was the realization of a dream he’d held ever since the new track league was announced. “It’s an exciting feeling to be a Grand Slam Track racer,” he said. “Not many people get the opportunity to be one of the best in the world. To be able to sign as a racer… only the fastest, and I’m ranked fifth right now, it’s a great feeling.”
When his agent, Cubie Seegobin, called with the news, Clarke was overwhelmed with joy. "I was making a lot of noise," Clarke shared, laughing. "I was right next to my mom. I literally parked my car and ran out, pure noise. I had always told my mom that I wanted Grand Slam to sign me. I was at the supermarket when I got the email, and I parked the car and ran!”
Reflecting on his Olympic final experience, Clarke emphasized the resilience it inspired in him. “The Olympic final, I fell at the last hurdle. That experience made me realize how important it is to stay focused and bounce back. I learned how to gather myself and go again,” he said, underscoring his determination to improve as he prepares for the 2025 season.
The Grand Slam Track format will challenge Clarke in both the 400m and 400m hurdles over four weekends throughout the season, with each Slam weekend including two races. The intense schedule has Clarke and his coach adapting their training to ensure he’s prepared not only for Grand Slam events but for other key competitions throughout the year.
For Clarke, the opportunity to compete among the best while working closely with a track icon like Michael Johnson is the fulfillment of a dream and a testament to his potential on the world stage. Fans can look forward to seeing this rising Jamaican star in action when Grand Slam Track kicks off its inaugural season.
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