"I been waiting for this one"- Noah Lyles excited for Jakob Ingebrigtsen vs Josh Kerr clash at Prefontaine Classic 2024

American track icon Noah Lyles joins the list of fans who are excited for the face-off between two arch rivals in the distance running domain, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, and world champion Josh Kerr. The duo is set to compete against each other at the upcoming Prefontaine Classic 2024.

Kerr and Ingebrigtsen are known as two of the fiercest competitors, as their rivalry is marked by both trying to prove their athletic prowess and being involved in a war of words against each other.

The Scottish icon Kerr holds a world championship and world indoor championship titles, and has also clinched an Olympic bronze in his distance running career. On the other hand, Norwegian phenom Ingebrigtsen is a two-time world champion and has an Olympic title under his belt.

Whenever the two have been lined up against each other, it's been an edge-of-the-seat experience for fans. Be it Jakob Ingebrigtsen defeating Josh Kerr at the Tokyo Olympics to win the gold, or Kerr achieving redemption at the 2023 World Athletics Championship to win the title.

Soon after the announcement of the Eugene Diamond League, Citius Mag posted a video of the two on their X handle (formerly Twitter) on Thursday. The page added the moments where Kerr and Ingebrigtsen are seen talking about each other. They wrote,

"9 months since their last showdown, Saturday’s Bowerman Mile at @nikepreclassic is the race we’ve all been waiting for… Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen vs. World champion Josh Kerr in a preview before Paris 5:52 p.m. ET Hayward Field"

The reigning triple world champion, Noah Lyles, represented the sentiments of track enthusiasts when he expressed his anticipation for the race with a tweet, saying:

"Ooooooooo I been waiting for this one"

Noah Lyles' reaction to Jakob Ingebrigtsen's comments on "irrelevant" competitors

The 26-year-old sprinter has been consistent in sharing his thoughts at each new update on the Ingebrigtsen vs. Kerr clash.

More so, when the 23-year-old Norwegian called his competitors "irrelevant" and referred to Josh Kerr as an attention seeker during an interview with The Times UK. Ingebrigtsen said:

"I’m going to say my competitors are irrelevant in the way I see them all the same. One of the main issues is they are very inconsistent and that means my rivals are always changing. From 2017, I have had ten to 12 different rivals. It’s easier for them to have a rival in me, but not as easy for me to have a rival in them."

Talking about Josh Kerr, he stated:

"The biggest issue is giving people like Kerr attention. That's what he is seeking. He is missing something in himself that he is searching for in others. I'm not the sort of guy to approve those sorts of things."

Lyels was again quick to react to it with a humorous tweet.

"I love it here."

Lyles also expressed his excitement for Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr's Paris Olympics face-off, this summer.