The recent Bowerman Mile between Josh Kerr of Scotland and Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway, two of the leading candidates for the 1500m in the Paris Olympics, generated a lot of discussion. Their competition gets more intense as the Olympics get closer in just 61 days.
With a finish time of 3:45.34, Kerr set a new national record and narrowly defeated Ingebrigtsen in the “mile of the century,” dividing opinion on the gold medal winner. Anxiety for their Olympic matchup increased when Kerr’s incredible achievement shattered Steve Cram’s 39-year-old British mile record and set a personal best and season record.
One commenter praised Josh Kerr’s impressive showing but pointed out a unique aspect of the competition, saying, “Nah. Kerr appeared to be in good shape, but no one is attempting to win this race.” Remarkably, Kerr himself stated following the race that he still had more to give, implying that his potential was far from reached.
Supporters discuss the rivalry
“Though not as much as I would have a few months ago when Ingebrigtsen’s illness was less certain, I still give Kerr the advantage. 3:45 This is your first run since your injury, and your return to full stride is outstanding.” The user quoted to essentially.sports
Josh Kerr surprised his rivals by taking the lead in the third quarter of the race, behind the leader Abe Alvarado after turning in a strong 800m split of 1:52.8. This daring move may have been disastrous because it was made quickly and without much thought. But Kerr’s strategic justification for this surprise change demonstrated his sharp mind and tactical skill.
Josh Kerr freely acknowledged after the race that going all out in the early going was a “dumb” move. He said, “I knew if I thought it was a dumb decision, then it probably was, and that was going to scare myself and everyone else around me in the race.” In addition to demonstrating his self-awareness, Kerr’s admission of his error in judgment also shows the impact such choices can have on rivals.
Cover Photo: IG
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