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Olympic 1500 metres silver medallist Josh Kerr says he is “ready to go” at the Zurich Diamond League meet after taking a month off competition post-Paris.
Kerr’s rivalry with Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen resumes in Switzerland, where American Cole Hocker – who snatched the Olympic title – is also competing alongside the Games’ bronze medallist Yared Nuguse.
The Scotsman revealed he made a concerted effort to take “a month off after (winning) the Olympics” medal, but was always targeting a return at the penultimate Diamond League competition of the season.
The 26-year-old said: “I know what my body is capable of, I know what I can do, so I’m a little bit more selective in what I do. I took a month off after the Olympics just to make sure I’m ready to go for this one.
“It’s hard. Being on the road is difficult, living out of a suitcase for months on end is difficult, so it was nice for me to go home.
“I was able to go back to Scotland, to go back to my club and give them that experience they deserved.
“But training is very consistent, very similar for me every year to be honest. I’ve done pretty much the same winter for five, six years now.”
The Olympic 1500 metres final was billed as a two-man showdown between arch-rivals Ingebrigtsen – the reigning champion from the Tokyo 2020 Games – and Kerr, who beat him to the world title in 2023.
But as the two seemed locked into their own conflict, it was Hocker who stole the show, storming to a surprise victory at the Stade de France.
Great Britain’s Elliot Giles, who on Sunday set a new road mile world record in Dusseldorf, was confirmed as the second pacemaker in Thursday night’s race, the next chapter in the Kerr-Ingebrigtsen epic, following what for many was an inconclusive ending in France.
Ingebrigtsen revealed on Wednesday afternoon that he had been struck down by an infection following last month’s Diamond League meet in Silesia, but vowed: “I’m here obviously to do my best.
“I want to race, I want to see what we can do tomorrow. If it’s going to be a world record, maybe not, but I think it’s going to be a good race and a good meet.”
Both rivals were posed the question about the other man’s best quality.
Kerr went first, saying: “His dress sense is probably his best quality. That would be number one.”
Ingebrigtsen took a slightly more serious approach, saying of Kerr: “Probably his performance, making 100 per cent when it matters.
“I think that’s important for us. I think Josh has been doing that since Tokyo. Being able to make your best race when it really matters – that’s important.”
Kerr, Hocker and Nuguse have all signed up for Michael Johnson’s new Grand Slam Track series, a head-to-head competition that will debut next April.
The trio, alongside one other as yet to be announced “starting racer”, will compete across the 1500m and 800m distances against a group of in-form “challengers”.
A total prize pot of 12.6million US dollars (£9.6million) is on offer for the first year, with 100,000 US dollars (£76,000) on offer for the winners at each event.
There's space in the sport for both— Josh Kerr on the new Grand Slam Track series
Asked if it would change his enthusiasm about participating in Diamond League events, Kerr added: “Personally it’s not going to change anything that I’m doing.
“I think there’s space in the sport for both. The head-to-heads and then also the time trialling.
“This will be my second Diamond League of the year and I’m sure I’ll be able to squeeze two in next year.”
