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Josh Kerr Advances to Olympic 1,500m Semifinal

by Connor Gilbert
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PARIS – Lobo XC / T&F alum Josh Kerr opened with confidence in his first race of the Paris Olympics, winning the first heat of the Men’s 1,500m First Round to punch his ticket to Sunday’s Semifinal, slated to start at 1:10 p.m. MT.

Kerr put together a near-flawless sit-and-kick race to open things up, moving from ninth to first by a comfortable margin over the final lap to win the heat with a 3:35.83 time — the fourth-fastest of the first round. In doing so, he also earned himself a day off, not needing to compete in tomorrow’s repechage round. He’ll race on Sunday for a chance to qualify for his second 1,500m Final in as many Olympic games, with Tuesday’s Final set for a 12:50 p.m. MT start.

“It’s always good to get that first one out of the way, feel the crowd, get through that warmup area … just routine and getting yourself comfortable,” Kerr said after the race. 

“I’m coming into this Olympic Games the fittest I’ve ever been, so it’s just execution now — which is the hardest part but the most fun part.”

Already a bronze medalist in the 1,500m at the Tokyo Olympics and a world champion in the event in 2023, Kerr will square off yet again with his archrival Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway, the Olympic record holder and world No. 1-ranked athlete in the 1,500m. Kerr beat Ingebrigtsen for the first time last August to win his first world title in Budapest after Ingebrigtsen won gold in Tokyo, with the two developing a heated rivalry in the months since.

Three other former Lobo Cross Country / Track & Field athletes will compete in Paris, with Weini Kelati (USA) in the Women’s 10,000m Final on Aug. 9 and Fiona O’Keeffe (USA) and Calli Thackery (Great Britain) in the Women’s Marathon on Aug. 11.

REMAINING MEN’S 1,500M RACES

  • Aug 4
    • Men’s 1,500m Semi-Final
    • 1:10 p.m. MT
  • Aug 6
    • Men’s 1,500m Final
    • 12:50 p.m.

THE (GROWING) LEGEND OF JOSH KERR
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 Ingebrigtsen again in a highly-anticipated Mile race at the Prefontaine Classic earlier this spring, clocking 3:45.24 for a new British record.

Ahead of the Paris Olympics, Kerr was named the team captain for Great Britain’s Athletics (Track & Field) squad – he was the only male to win an Olympic medal in athletics for Team GB in Tokyo.

“I’m truly honored with the trust shown by my teammates to lead us into these Games,” said Kerr of the honor, which was voted on by his teammates. “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 setup provided to us in preparing for these games and we want to repay that with our performances out there next week.”

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’s the only UNM athlete in program history to make the Semifinalist list for the Bowerman Award – given yearly to the best athlete in collegiate Track & Field – twice.

Kerr 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 indoor mile and the 800m both indoors and outdoors.

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