Kerr and Ingebrigtsen to reignite rivalry at July's London Athletics Meet
Norwegian Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen will race alongside British world champion Josh Kerr over 1 500 metres at the London Athletics Meet in July, British Athletics said on Friday.
Shall we let the legs do the talking? 😈
— Wanda Diamond League (@Diamond_League) April 11, 2025
Multiple #DiamondLeague 💎 champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen will take on the 2023 World Champion Josh Kerr at #LondonDL 🔥
DATE - 19 JULY
📢 Full announcement ➡️ https://t.co/RHEsaupNv3 pic.twitter.com/YHzplm7RLb
The duo's first-ever encounter on British soil, scheduled for July 19, promises to reignite the rivalry that emerged during their meeting in Budapest, where Kerr made his move with 200 metres to go to shock the favourite Ingebrigtsen.
Ingebrigtsen, who referred to Kerr as "just the next guy" and boasted he could outpace the Briton "blindfolded", will be put to the test while Kerr has claimed the Norwegian has "major weaknesses".
The 24-year-old Ingebrigtsen, a 13-time European senior track champion - both indoors and outdoors, completed a golden double at the World Athletics Indoor Championships last month by capturing 1 500 metres and 3 000m crown.
The Norwegian also holds the world record in the indoor 1 500m, indoor mile, 2 000m and 3 000m.
"I love to race, and the London Diamond League is a perfect fit for my schedule. I've recovered well from the indoors and training is going well," Ingebrigtsen said.
"... My focus is now on the summer and returning to Tokyo - where I won my Olympic title in 2021 - to win global gold. Competing in London is a crucial part of my build, and I know the atmosphere will be incredible."
Kerr, who won silver at the Paris Games last year, holds a world best time over two miles indoors and a British record in the mile.
"I've never shied away from the fact that I'm trying to be the best 1 500m runner of our era, and that means winning more titles and running faster times than everyone else," Kerr said.
"... I want to defend my world title in Tokyo and everything I do between now and then, including lining up at the London Athletics Meet, is focused on achieving that goal."
The London Athletics Meet forms the 11th part of the 2025 Wanda Diamond League, which consists of 15 global track and field events across four continents.
The league will kick off in Xiamen on 26 April and conclude with a two-day final in Zurich (August 27/28).
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