Britain’s Josh Kerr stunned Norway’s Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen to take 1500m gold at the World Championships in Budapest.
Kerr, Olympic bronze medallist in Tokyo, timed his surge for gold to perfection inside the final 200m.
The 25-year-old clocked a season’s best three minutes 29.38 seconds to make his first podium at a World Championships.
It comes one year after Ingebrigtsen suffered defeat by Briton Jake Wightman in similar circumstances in Eugene.
Kerr let out an almighty roar as he crossed the line, celebrating with the crowd and embracing his parents in the stands with a gold medal proudly hanging from his neck.
Ingebrigtsen, meanwhile, appeared crestfallen as history repeated itself.
The 22-year-old led from the front for much of the race before once again being denied by a gutsy finish from a British athlete, Kerr breaking his rival in the final 50m.
Ingebrigtsen held on for silver in 3:29.65 ahead of compatriot Narve Gilje Nordas (3:29.68), while Britain’s Neil Gourley finished ninth in 3:31.10.
Kerr earned GB a fourth medal of the championships, and second gold, following in the footsteps of Katarina Johnson-Thompson after her heptathlon triumph.
Kerr emulates Wightman to stand on top of the world
Evidently full of confidence coming in to the championships, Kerr had stated his belief that Ingebrigtsen – unbeaten this season and boasting the fastest time of 2023 – was “very beatable”.
And, as 2022 champion Wightman watched on, the Scot emulated his Edinburgh Athletics Club team-mate in spectacular fashion.
Ingebrigtsen had been determined to upgrade last year’s silver, and took control on the second lap but once again was powerless to respond as Kerr moved level and then refused to fade away.
The reigning world 5,000m champion came into the championships unbeaten, running the fourth-fastest 1500m of all time in July, and was a heavy favourite for gold.
Kerr had run his two fastest times since Tokyo earlier this season, but Ingebrigtsen had been in unrelenting form as he built towards correcting his 2022 loss.
While his talent is undeniable, Norway’s versatile star will rightly be concerned about the manner in which world gold was once again ripped from his grasp, with another Briton adding his name to the list of contenders at Paris 2024.
Kerr demonstrated his ability to produce elite level performances on the global stage when he won his Olympic bronze in 2021, becoming the first British man to win a medal over 1500m at a Games since 1988, and did so again here with a superbly managed run.
More to follow.
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