Jakob Ingebrigtsen vs Josh Kerr head-to-head record: Who is leading ahead of 1500m rematch at Paris Olympics 2024? 

Jakob Ingebrigtsen vs Josh Kerr is among the most popular and most heated rivalries in track and field at the moment. While the Norwegian has dominated the head-to-head record between the two, Kerr has made significant progress in recent years and can defeat Ingebrigtsen at the Paris Olympics 2024.

The distance runners went head-to-head for the first time at the 2016 U20 World Championships over the 1500m. Ingebrigtsen clocked 3:51.09 for ninth place while Kerr finished behind him in 3:51.23. They met two more times before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and it was the Norwegian again who came out on top on both occasions.

Kerr took on Ingebrigtsen in the 1500m semifinal in Tokyo but finished third while the latter was second. In the final, Ingebrigtsen was crowned the 1500m champion while the Scottish runner settled for the bronze medal. It marked the fifth time Ingebrigtsen beat Kerr, but when they clashed a year later, the Scot finally tasted his first success. He defeated the Olympic champion in the 1500m semifinals at the 2022 World Championships.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr raced each other seven times between the 2022 and 2023 World Championship finals, and every time, the Norwegian runner came out on top. However, when Kerr won, he won big and defeated Ingebrigtsen to become the 1500m World Champion.

It was only after the 2023 finals that the trash-talking started between the two. They have met only once since then, at the 2023 Bowerman Mile, where Josh Kerr emerged triumphant. The duo are now set to headline one of the biggest rivalries at the Paris Olympics 2024.

Head-to-head record: Jakob Ingebrigtsen 12-2 Josh Kerr

Can Jakob Ingebrigtsen defend his 1500m Olympic title at Paris Olympics 2024?

2024 Diamond League - Jakob Ingebrigtsen runs a new personal best in 1500m (Photo-Getty)

Jakob Ingebrigtsen is still the man to beat over the 1500m at the Paris Olympics 2024. The Olympic champion missed the entirety of the Indoor season, and since returning to the track during the outdoor season, he is undefeated over the 1500m.

On July 12, the Olympic champion clocked a blistering 3:26.73 to win the 1500m title at the Monaco Diamond League. It marked his new personal best, making him the only fourth runner in history to break the three-minute and 27-second barrier.

Ingebrigtsen’s competitors at the Olympics will be Josh Kerr and Timothy Cheruiyot, both of whom are slower than the Norwegian. Kerr hasn't raced over the 1500m in outdoor season while Cheruiyot could put up a fight after following Ingebrigtsen for second at the Monaco Diamond League in 3:28.71. Nonetheless, Ingebrigtsen looks favorite to defend his 1500m Olympic crown.