Kerr and Ingebrigtsen to Battle in London: 1500m Rivalry Continues

Great Britain's Josh Kerr and Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen will face off in the 1500m at the London Diamond League meeting this summer. Kerr, the reigning 1500m world champion, and Ingebrigtsen, the former Olympic 1500m champion, have a long-standing feud and are set to meet over the distance on 19 July at the London Stadium in their first race against each other on British soil. Kerr claimed 1500m bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which took place in 2021 due to the Covid pandemic, as Ingebrigtsen won gold, but the Briton beat his rival to win the 2023 world title. The 1500m final at the 2024 Olympics was supposed to be between the two of them but they were beaten to gold by American Cole Hocker. Kerr finished with silver as Ingebrigtsen ended up in fourth, although the latter went on to win 5,000m gold. Kerr said: "I've never shied away from the fact that I'm trying to be the best 1500m runner of our era, and that means winning more titles and running faster times than everyone else. None of it comes easy and we're all working hard to achieve our goals. For me, that includes racing a bit more this summer, but my goal for the year is simple; I want to defend my world title in Tokyo and everything I do between now and then, including lining up at the London Athletics Meet, is focused on achieving that goal." Ingebrigtsen said: "I love to race, and the London Diamond League is a perfect fit for my schedule. I've never been afraid to show up and it felt good to come away from the World and European Indoor Championships with four gold medals. My focus is now on the summer and returning to Tokyo - where I won my Olympic title in 2021 - to win global gold. Competing in London is a crucial part of my build-up, and I know the atmosphere will be incredible."