Briton Josh Kerr stuns Jakob Ingebrigtsen to win 1,500m gold, succeeding compatriot Jake Wightman

BUDAPEST – Briton Josh Kerr pulled off one of the shocks of the World Championships when he beat Olympic champion and hot favourite Jakob Ingebrigtsen in an absolute carbon copy of the 2022 final to take the 1,500m gold on Wednesday.

Favourite in 2022, Norway’s Ingebrigtsen was out-kicked by Britain’s Jake Wightman to miss out on gold and Kerr, the Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist behind Ingebrigtsen, made his move at about the same spot with 200m to go.

Kerr, 25, dug deep to stay in front and won in 3min 29.38sec, with Ingebrigtsen, whose 3:27.14 run in Poland five weeks ago made him the fourth-fastest man in history, taking silver in 3:29.65. Fast-finishing Norwegian Narve Gilje Nordas secured the bronze in 3:29.68.

“It’s been a long time coming. It’s quite an overwhelming experience. I’m so proud of myself. I didn’t feel like I ran the best race either. I just threw my whole 16 years of this sport in that last 200m and didn’t give up until the end,” said Kerr, who added that he had planned meticulously for this race.

“We threw everything we had at this in terms of nutrition, sleep, training, race reviews, everything. We left no stone unturned... I planned like a champion,” he said.

He had a good view of Wightman’s tactics in Eugene as he chased him home to finish fifth, and he produced an almost uncanny replica of his Edinburgh clubmate, who is recovering from injury, on Wednesday.

“As I came round the bend, I thought I have to give everything I have. I just made sure I was there with 200m to go. Then in the last 30, I thought ‘I want this so badly, I don’t care how much pain I’m in, I’m going to do everything to get to the finish line first’,” he said.

Ingebrigtsen, 22, said he was not physically in great shape, as he was unable to respond to Kerr moving on to his shoulder.

“All credit to Josh, he had a good race... I don’t feel my body was quite 100 per cent. Today, I wasn’t the best,” he said.

It was a much better night for Ingebrigtsen’s compatriot Karsten Warholm after he returned to the top of the global medal podium, racing to his third victory in the 400m hurdles on Wednesday.

The world record holder and Olympic champion pulled away from American Rai Benjamin heading into the home straight to win in 46.89sec, spreading his arms wide in celebration.

The 27-year-old won in the 2017 and 2019 world championships, but struggled to seventh at the 2022 worlds when he was hampered by a hamstring injury.

“It feels incredibly good to have the gold around my neck again. I fought all I could in the last 100 metres,” Warholm told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.

Kyron McMaster won silver in 47.34 to earn the first world championships medal for the British Virgin Islands, while Benjamin, silver medallist both in Eugene and at the Tokyo Olympics, faded to take bronze in 47.56.

“This means the world to my country – I have been chasing this medal since 2017. For so many years, I have been chasing a medal, but (it is) not the ultimate medal, because that is a gold,” he said.

Warholm, running in Lane 7, and Benjamin, a lane inside him, hit through the first seven hurdles in perfect synchronisation before the Norwegian found another gear.

“Today, unlike other races I’ve had, I felt like I was a bit sneaky and was waiting. And then I took it at the end, which people don’t think I can do. But I also have it in the toolbox when needed,” said Warholm.

Meanwhile, Spain’s domination of the race walks was completed on Thursday when Alvaro Martin and Maria Perez added gold in the 35km events to their victories in last weekend’s 20km races.

Martin held off Ecuador’s Brian Pintado to win the men’s race in 2hr 24min 30sec while Perez clocked a record 2:38:40, more than two minutes ahead of defending champion Kimberly Garcia Leon.

The Peruvian came home in 2:40:52, while Greece’s Antigoni Drisbioti completed the podium with a season’s best 2:43:22.
REUTERS