Jakob Ingebrigtsen missed the gold over 1,500 m that was believed to be safe at the World Championships in Athletics in Budapest. Josh Kerr relegated the miracle runner from Norway to silver with an irresistible final sprint and surprisingly became world champion.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen could only shake his head. It was going to be gold for the Norwegian, everyone had expected that, he himself probably the most. But on the home straight in the World Cup stadium in Budapest, the Brit Josh Kerr ignited the turbo and put on an irresistible final sprint that Ingebrigtsen was no longer able to counter. In the end, the Olympic champion just about secured silver in front of his compatriot Narve Gilje Nordås.
“Didn’t feel like myself”
“I just didn’t feel like myself,” said Ingebrigtsen of the sports show and was a bit at a loss. “Of course it’s very disappointing, but I don’t think I could have done much differently. Josh Kerr ran a good race and was well prepared.”
The surprise winner could hardly believe his luck. “It’s surreal. It’s a moment I’ll always remember,” said the Briton. “I wanted to run a race I can be proud of.”
There is still a big gap in Ingebrigtsen’s collection of titles. The 22-year-old suffered a surprising defeat over this distance at last year’s World Championships in Eugene, against Kerr’s fellow countryman Jake Wightman, who is currently injured.
In Budapest, the miracle runner from Norway had caused discussions in the semifinals. He ran to victory in an irritatingly relaxed manner and played with the crowd long before the finish line. The European record holder easily won the race, but in the final there was no time for fooling around.
Unusually for him, Ingebrigtsen tried from the front, controlled the field, but in the end he apparently reckoned without Kerr, who came third in the Olympics.