Josh Kerr Finishes With Silver in Olympic 1,500m Final

Josh Kerr beat out his archnemesis Jakob Ingebrigtsen and finished under the previous Olympic Record in a highly-anticipated Olympic 1,500m Final at Stade de France on Tuesday afternoon, taking the lead late before Team USA’s Cole Hocker surged past him to claim gold down the stretch.

Kerr clocked a 3:27.79 time — an improvement on his British National Record — to finish just 14 hundredths of a second behind Hocker (3:27.65). Behind them, USA’s Yared Nuguse (3:27.80) edged out Ingebrigtsen (3:28.24) for bronze, with all four finishing under Ingebrigtsen’s previous Olympic Record from Tokyo in 2021 (3:28.32).

Kerr becomes the first Lobo Track & Field alum to medal in two different Olympics — nonetheless back-to-back Olympics — with an improvement on his bronze in the Tokyo Olympics that solidifies his ascension to the world’s elite in the 1,500m distance over the past 12 months since his first world title in the event in August.

WOW. 😱

A STUNNING upset in the men’s 1500m as AMERICAN COLE HOCKER takes gold! #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/wlq81lbvSO

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 6, 2024

THE (GROWING) LEGEND OF JOSH KERR

Already a bronze medalist in the 1,500m at the Tokyo Olympics and a world champion in the event in 2023, Kerr won yet another massive race against his biggest rival but came just short of gold. 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. 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.

MORE LOBOS IN PARIS
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.

• Aug 9
  • Women’s 10,000m Final
  • 12:55 p.m. MT

• Aug 11
  • Women’s Marathon
  • 12:00 a.m. MT

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