Josh Kerr is the entertainer athletics needs at World Indoor Championships

Josh Kerr is currently exuding a great amount of confidence, something he has always had.

He is currently the champion of the 1500m world and claimed a remarkable gold medal in Budapest in August. Recently, he shattered the world record for indoor two-mile running at the Millrose Games in New York – a feat he had predicted beforehand. He also set a remarkable half-marathon time of 61 minutes and 51 seconds in San Diego last December. In addition to his incredible performances, he also found time to discuss and analyze the weaknesses of Jakob Ingebrigtsen on a podcast, adding fuel to the intense rivalry between the two players. It is expected that their rivalry will be one of the most captivating storylines at the upcoming Paris Olympics.

Scotland’s dominant track athlete is currently in his prime and is eagerly embracing his position as the face of the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow this weekend. Speculation had been circulating for weeks about his participation in this event, as he had to travel a long way from his training location in Seattle. Many noteworthy British athletes, such as Dina Asher-Smith and Keely Hodgkinson, have chosen to skip this competition and focus on getting ready for Paris. However, Kerr saw this as a unique opportunity that he could not pass up.

Kerr expressed that it is a great privilege to be seen as the team’s leader by default. She believes that she needs to work hard to earn this role. Kerr admits that she may not have represented her British supporters as well as she could have in the recent past, given her 12th place finish at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. She is eager to make a strong comeback and compete for a world title on her home turf. She is determined to give the UK fans the performance they deserve from her.

Being a medallist in the world championship, Kerr earned an automatic qualification for the world indoors. However, he did not want to take the spot of a teammate who had put in a lot of effort to qualify. This policy prevented him from participating in the 1500m event, as there were other deserving athletes such as 25-year-olds Adam Fogg and Callum Elson. As a result, he chose to compete in the 3,000m event instead.

It is a longer distance against a tougher field, and perhaps a couple of years ago Kerr would not have been among the favourites against a stack of steeplechasers and endurance specialists. They include the reigning champion, Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega, as well as US champion Yared Nuguse, a potential rival to Kerr over 1500m in Paris.

Kerr is confident about his chances for the upcoming race. He believes he is in excellent physical condition, as demonstrated at Millrose. He anticipates posing a challenge for his competitors on the 3k start list, including athletes from Ethiopia who have proven their ability to run mid-7.20s. Despite the tough competition, Kerr is excited for the opportunity to compete and represent his home country at the world championships.

Unfortunately, Ingebrigtsen will not be participating in the competition in Glasgow due to an injury to his achilles. Both athletes have not competed since the world championship final in Budapest, a night where Kerr strategically outperformed a heartbroken Ingebrigtsen. Despite the lack of recent races, the two have not hesitated to exchange jabs. In a recent interview with The Sunday Plodcast, Kerr criticized Ingebrigtsen’s approach, claiming that he is only surrounded by people who agree with him and lacks awareness of his own weaknesses.

When questioned if Ingebrigtsen should participate in more races without a pacemaker to develop better strategic skills, Kerr stated, “I believe others are starting to recognize this, but I doubt he will because his pride is too strong on this matter… I would be pleased if he would listen.”

Ingebrigtsen confidently claimed that he would have been able to break Kerr’s recent two-mile indoor record even if he were blindfolded. This adds an exciting element to middle-distance running which can only be advantageous to athletics. As the sport is still adjusting to the post-Bolt era, it requires fresh personalities and captivating plotlines. The competition between Kerr and Ingebrigtsen is definitely one to watch, and Kerr is aware of its significance.

“Some people find the back-and-forth banter quite amusing,” notes Kerr with a slight smile. She admits to having a lack of a filter which can make for risky interviews, leading to occasional blunt statements. However, as an honest and genuine person, she does not shy away from expressing her unfiltered thoughts and giving her honest opinions, even though she doesn’t necessarily enjoy the dynamic.

Do they share the odd message in private? “I wouldn’t particularly say so. He’s obviously a big character and a big name in our sport and so he draws a lot of eyeballs, and those are the questions that sometimes people want to ask me. I give honest answers and reviews and I think he does the same. I don’t think it really cuts too deep on either end. There’s no ill will towards him. It’s just I’m a competitive guy and I want to win and so sometimes that comes out in different ways. But I think he’s in a similar situation. I think we’re gonna race a couple times before we get to the major championships so it should be a fantastic and exciting year for everyone watching.”

Kerr’s complete focus on his skill is what ultimately led him to go from being a competitor to defeating top athletes like Ingebrigtsen and achieving the status of a world champion. His choice to move to the western coast of America and train with coach Danny Mackey six years ago has hugely benefitted him. At 26 years old, he now has three full-time employees, even a personal chef to ensure he’s properly nourished during the prime years of his career.

Since winning the world title last summer, he has managed to stay injury and illness free, allowing him to maintain an unbroken training streak. He even pushed himself through challenging runs on Christmas Day. This plays a significant role in Kerr’s excellent current form. He attributes his consistency as his greatest strength, citing his unrelenting training and dedication to getting the work done as factors that set him apart. He doesn’t believe in doing extreme workouts or logging excessive miles, but rather in consistently showing up every single day.

Before breaking Mo Farah’s 2-mile world record with a time of 8 minutes and 0.67 seconds, this athlete had spent the winter working on his endurance for longer distances. Mo Farah’s name still dominates numerous British outdoor records, ranging from 1500m to the marathon, but now Kerr has his sights on achieving some of those records.

“I recently messaged some individuals from Farah’s team, expressing that there must have been a significant reason for his record to remain unbeaten for so long. It was an extremely difficult feat to achieve. Pursuing one of Farah’s records was a thrill for me. He has made a remarkable impact in our sport, so it feels quite impressive to surpass one of his records. I hope this will not be the only record I break from him this year. However, I am aware that I still have a lot of work to put in before that happens.”

Kerr acknowledges that setting the two-mile world record had a negative impact on his physical well-being. He had to push himself to the limit on a small indoor track with sharp turns. Afterward, he took four days to recuperate through light jogging before traveling from Seattle to Scotland. He then completed nine days of training at sea level, focusing on overcoming any jet lag to prepare for the Glasgow championships. Kerr states that he takes full responsibility if things do not go according to his expectations.

This week, Kerr has been happily spending time with his loved ones and is thrilled to have the opportunity to perform in front of his home supporters. Despite this, his main objective remains clear and his confidence remains strong.

“I have the ability to win and I am in great physical condition. However, achieving it is not as simple as just saying it…but my primary goal is to bring home a gold medal for our team. Hopefully, performing in front of our home crowd will motivate others to carry on our tradition.”

Source: independent.co.uk