Paris Olympics: When is the men's 1500m final? Josh Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen battle in athletics' most heated rivalry
By Rhys Jones
Published 06/08/2024 at 15:18 GMT+1
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will witness its most heated rivalry as Josh Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen battle for gold in the men’s 1500m final on Tuesday. The fierce competitors have been engaged in an engrossing war of words over the last 12 months after Kerr's world title win. Norway's Ingebrigtsen is the gold medal winner from Tokyo, where Kerr took bronze. Here is all you need to know.
'He has a title that I want' - Kerr speaks ahead of 1500m showdown with Ingebrigtsen
Video credit: TNT Sports
Paris 2024 will finally witness one of the most eagerly anticipated races as Josh Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen battle for gold in the men’s 1500m final.
The pair were in the same semi-final, with Ingebrigtsen finishing first and Kerr safely taking second to book their places in the main event.
It has become athletics' most heated rivalry and has been dubbed as a race for the ages. It will resemble a soap opera more than a track event, and one that will likely only intensify after the final's climax.
Norway's Ingebrigtsen, a middle-distance running prodigy, won gold in the 1500m in Tokyo. Kerr is the world champion and bronze medallist from Tokyo.
When is the men's 1500m final?
The men’s 1500m final will start at 19:50 UK time on Tuesday, August 6.
The Stade de France will host the event. Coverage of the final will be available live on discovery+.
War of words
After Kerr's World Championship win in Budapest last summer, Ingebrigtsen called Kerr "the next guy", downplaying the Scot's win and stoking a verbal war between the rivals.
Kerr responded, saying: "He can be disrespectful to me, that’s fine, I still have the World Championship gold medal.”
February saw their jabs hit another level, with the Norwegian joking that he could beat Kerr "blindfolded" after the Team GB athlete set an indoor world best in the 2 mile.
Kerr simply laughed in response, saying: "No comment."
Their rivalry reaches its crescendo on the event's grandest stage on Tuesday night at the Stade de France.
“Rivalries are what promotes sporting events,” Team GB captain Kerr told Eurosport ahead of the Games.
“Whether it’s boxing matches or big head-to-heads, it makes a huge difference … when it comes down to it to see who is the best 1500m runner in the world, it’s going to be an absolute war and I am ready for that, and I am sure all the fans are ready to watch it too."
HEAD-TO-HEAD
In the entirety of their careers, Kerr and Ingebrigtsen have raced each other 15 times in the 1500m since meeting at the World Under-20 Championships in 2016.
That day saw the Norwegian finish ninth and Kerr 10th.
They faced off at the Tokyo Games, where Ingebrigtsen set an Olympic record to win gold with a time of 3:28.32, with Kerr taking bronze at 3:29.05.
Kerr has beaten Ingebrigtsen just three times. The most notable of those – and the one which really kickstarted their ferocious rivalry – was at the 2023 World Championship in Budapest in August. Kerr claimed gold with a time of 3:29:38, while Ingebrigtsen finished in 3:29.65 to take silver.
The loss did not sit well with Ingebrigtsen, and he would have felt further stung in May 2024 when Kerr got the better of him once again at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League, held in Eugene, Oregon.
With the Norwegian recently returning from an Achilles injury, Kerr outran him to win in 3:45:34.
WHO ELSE IS RACING?
Kerr and Ingebrigtsen clearly lead the pack, especially in media attention, with the USA's Yared Nuguse closely behind them.
The entire field can be seen below:
- Arese Pietro (ITA)
- Brian Komen (KEN)
- Narve Gilje Nordas (NOR)
- Hobbs Kessler (USA)
- Timothy Cheruiyot (KEN)
- Yared Nuguse (USA)
- Josh Kerr (GBR)
- Cole Hocker (USA)
- Niels Laros (NED)
- Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR)
- Stefan Nillessen (NED)
- Neil Gourley (GBR)
discovery+ is the streaming home of the Olympic Games, and the only place you can watch every moment of Paris 2024 this summer.
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