Jakob Ingebrigtsen Responds to Josh Kerr as Heated Rivalry Reignites
Jakob Ingebrigtsen has fired back at Josh Kerr’s suggestion that the Norwegian would be like a “deer on ice” in an 800-meter race, stating that he doesn’t take the British World Champion seriously.
The 24-year-old Ingebrigtsen secured a gold medal in the 5,000 meters at the Paris 2024 Olympics but missed out on a podium finish in defending his 1,500-meter title, as Cole Hocker, Kerr, and Yared Nuguse outpaced him in the home stretch.
The rivalry between the two has been ongoing for quite some time. It reignited in December when Ingebrigtsen questioned whether competitors, including Kerr, could handle competing in cross-country after securing their third European title. He remarked, “If you don’t think you can perform, you won’t.” He added, “Those who aren’t here likely aren’t capable of performing across different disciplines.”
Kerr responded this week with a jab of his own, suggesting that Ingebrigtsen is avoiding the new Grand Slam track event because he’s not comfortable running an 800-meter race, particularly given the unusual format created by Michael Johnson.
Speaking on the Citius Mag podcast, Kerr said, “If he were in the 800/1500 group, watching him run the 800 would be like watching a deer on ice.”
However, Ingebrigtsen hit back once again, telling Norway’s TV2, “The day he contributes to a world record race, I’ll take him seriously. But only then.”
Meanwhile, it was recently confirmed that Jakob’s father, Gjert Ingebrigtsen, will face trial in 2025 following allegations of mental, physical, and verbal abuse made by Jakob and his brothers, Henrik and Filip.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen Responds to Josh Kerr as Heated Rivalry Reignites
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