"I'm hunting this Olympic Title"-Josh Kerr sends strong message to rivals as Jakob Ingebrigtsen clocks fastest 1500m in 9 years

Josh Kerr sends out a strong message to all his competitors as he gears up to compete in the 1500m at the upcoming Olympics in Paris. The British athlete's bold claim came days after arch-rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen clocked the fastest 1500m since 2015 at the Monaco Diamond League.

Josh Kerr has had an incredible early Olympic season, from the indoors to the first few outdoor events of 2024. The British athlete set a strong foot forward and gained huge momentum at the Millrose race early in the season after setting the 2-mile world record. Moreover, he won the World Indoor title in the 3000m in Glasgow.

He went head-to-head with his arch-rival, Jakob Ingebrigtsen and emerged victorious in the Prefontaine Classic in the famous ' Bowerman Mile'. Since then, the anticipation among fans to see the two athletes compete at the Paris Olympics is at an all-time high.

The excitement grew by multiple folds after Ingebrigtsen clocked 3:26.73 in the 1500m at the Monaco Diamond League, shattering the European record and clocking the fastest time in nine years.

Amidst all these developments, Josh Kerr became a part of 'Path to Paris: The Hunt for Gold', a show that would be featured on Channel 4. In the trailer, Kerr sends out a strong message to his competitors as he describes his ambitions for the Paris Olympics.

" I'm hunting this Olympic Title. Being able to have that gold medal will allow me to know that I was able to get it right," he said.

" Path to Paris: The Hunt for Gold. Don’t miss the highs and lows of preparing for an Olympic Games, live on @Channel4 at 5pm on Saturday," read the caption.

Josh Kerr speaks about his mindset as he aims for his first Olympic gold medal

Day 5 - World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023

Josh Kerr spoke about winning his first gold medal at the Paris Olympics. The British athlete expressed his belief in the training that he has undergone while preparing for the major event. Moreover, Kerr shared that he would not be running under pressure as Jakob Ingebrigtsen would be the athlete who would be looking to defend his Olympic title.

" I want to do myself justice for all the hard work that I have put in and I feel like I have earned the right to have this conversation of about talking and going after the gold medal in Paris. I have to be realistic and know that I am not the current Olympic Champion," he said. (2:48)

I am the current World Champion but you know Ingebrigtsen's the Olympic Champion and it's his title and it's his title to lose. I just need to have the belief and hopefully, the training behind me will allow that dream to come into reality," he added.

Both Josh Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen have been pushing the limits of the sport and their rivalry at the upcoming Olympics is one of the most anticipated races of the quadrennial Games.