Despite the Norwegian outperforming Kerr in the initial heat with a first-place finish last year, it was the 26-year-old Scot who triumphed when it mattered most, in the event's final.
Kerr managed to deny Ingebrigtsen gold at the championships by a mere 0.27 seconds, clocking a time of 3:29.38, leaving the Norwegian feeling bitter. Post the 2023 event, he attributed his less-than-stellar performance to illness and boldly claimed he could beat Kerr "blindfolded."
Kerr didn't take kindly to these words, retorting: "I'm like, 'You've won so many races, you ran fantastic all season that you're just on this - you must be surrounded by so many yes-men that you don't realize that you have weaknesses'. And I think that was part of his downfall." He further fuelled the rivalry by adding: "I would love for him to be listening to this," reports the Mirror .
The intense rivalry between the two high-profile competitors set the stage for an electrifying race when they faced off in the 1500m Olympic final in Paris on Tuesday. While Kerr couldn't clinch a gold medal, he did manage to outdo Ingebrigtsen - who didn't even make it to the podium.
Cole Hocker of the USA set an Olympic record time of 3:27.65, speeding to the finish line ahead of the pack in the final. Britain's Kerr nabbed silver with a time of 3:27.79, narrowly edging out Yared Nuguse into third by just a hundredth of a second. Ingebrigtsen came in a surprising fourth, a shadow of his Tokyo Games triumph when he secured gold.
Despite his loss, Ingebrigtsen showed sportsmanship, graciously accepting defeat and extending kudos to his competitors on social media. On Instagram, he congratulated his rivals, admitting, "Well, I guess he did show up after all...," seemingly directed at Kerr, followed by the comment, "Hocker and Nuguse as well. My team always say that 'because you have a big mouth and is the one to beat, you have everything to lose in competitions'. Today, Cole Hocker, Yared Nuguse and Josh Kerr outsmarted me."
The Norwegian athlete continued his praises saying, "They were 'the best guys' when it really mattered. And I want to congratulate them all on a great performance! Of course, I am disappointed! Running is the ultimate sport. Everyone can participate. Everyone can set their own goals and achieve them. All you need is to show up."
Reflecting on his journey and Norway's evolving track scene, Ingebrigtsen concluded with a note of inspiration, "Not long ago, I trained alongside kids and average runners at Sandnes stadium. Today, I competed alongside one of my countrymen in an Olympic 1500 final. Ten years ago, no one in Norway would have believed this was possible. Until Henrik and Filip showed us all that it is."
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Ingebrigtsen has shown gratitude to his team and homeland for their enduring support, including a shout-out to his fellow athletes for their role in enhancing the competition's level. He expressed: "I sincerely want to express my gratitude and love to them and the rest of the team, and to my partners and the Norwegian athletics association and all my followers for the support this year.
"Thank you so much. It means a lot to me! Thank you also to all my competitors for putting on a great show today. Congratulations to the guys bringing home the medals! Luckily for me, I get to do it all again tomorrow morning."
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