PARIS: Briton Josh Kerr has declared war on foe Jakob Ingebrigtsen - and the rest of the 1,500 metres Olympic field - as his rivalry with the Norwegian Olympic champion is expected to reach a fever pitch in Paris.
Fans will be licking their chops at the Stade de France for the anticipated showdown over the metric mile, after Kerr got the best of Ingebrigtsen at the world championships, catapulting him into the spotlight. "The headlines will be me versus him but I will be racing those other guys on the line too. I'm the best in the world. This is the best system, I have the best coaches and I'm looking to go to war," he said in remarks reported by the Daily Record. The pair traded barbs since their fateful meeting in Budapest, where Kerr made his move with 200 metres to go to shock the hot favourite Ingebrigtsen. Ingebrigtsen called Kerr "just the next guy" and claimed he could beat the Briton "blindfolded." Kerr has claimed the Norwegian has "major weaknesses."
Kerr, who took the third spot on the podium in Tokyo, said he was well aware of his growing profile in the sport.
"Just because more people are watching, doesn't change my vision," he wrote in an Instagram post on Thursday. "Before Tokyo, no one knew my name. After Budapest, everyone did. Paris has always been the pinnacle."
The Paris Olympic athletics programme begins on Thursday.-- Reuters