Josh Kerr Voted Captain of Team GB for Paris Olympics

UNM alumnus Josh Kerr has been named captain of Team GB’s athletics team, as voted on by his teammates representing Great Britain at the Paris Olympics.

After winning his first World Championship in the 1,500m last fall in Budapest, Kerr will square off again with his archrival Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway, who won gold in the event in Tokyo while Kerr took home bronze in his first Olympics. Kerr’s bronze made him the only British man to medal in athletics (track & field) in the Tokyo Olympics.

Competition in the men’s 1,500m kicks off on August 2 with the First Round.

“Congratulations to Josh for receiving this honor from his team-mates for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” said Olympic Head Coach at UK Athletics, Paula Dunn. “It is testament to his character and the way he carries himself that they’ve voted for him to take this role.”

In the year since his first world title, Kerr set the indoor two-mile world record (8:00.67) at the 2024 Millrose Games and defeated Jakob Ingebrigtsen again in a highly-anticipated Mile race at the Prefontaine Classic earlier this spring, clocking 3:45.24 for a new British record.

During his time at UNM, Kerr won NCAA individual titles in the Indoor Mile (2017 & 2018) and the Outdoor 1,500m (2017), setting a collegiate record in the 1500m in April 2017 that stood until May 2021  — he’s won more individual Mountain West titles across indoor and outdoor season (8) than any other Lobo athlete in program history, male or female. He still holds the UNM 1,500m record and was a part of the fastest DMR time in program history, also ranking in the Top 5 in program history in the mile and the 800m both indoors and outdoors.

“I’m truly honoured with the trust shown by my teammates to lead us into these Games. I want to be a supporter for the most experienced and an open book for our first timers, and do all I can to help us win those percentage battles over the next couple of weeks.

“Us athletes have had the best of the best support staff and set-up provided to us in preparing for these Games and we want to repay that with our performances out there next week.”

• Aug 2
  • Men’s 1,500m First Round
  • 3:05 a.m. MT
• Aug 3
  • Men’s 1,500m Repechage Round
  • 11:15 a.m. MT
• Aug 4
  • Men’s 1,500m Semi-Final
  • 1:10 p.m. MT
• Aug 6
  • Men’s 1,500m Final
  • 12:50 p.m.

MORE INFORMATION

• Where to Watch: Viewing guide for this year’s events.
• Olympics Guide: Here’s what you need to know about the Games.
• Sports: Here’s how every Olympic sport works.
• Schedule: Mark your calendars