Josh Kerr breaks silence after withdrawing from season opener at Millrose Games

Josh Kerr spoke out for the first time since his withdrawal from the season opener appearance at the Millrose Games. The British athlete was set to compete in the famous Wanamaker Mile in his first race of the season; however, he opted out of the race, and his name was removed from the official competitors list.

According to reports, Josh Kerr decided to withdraw from his season opener due to an illness a night before the race. Kerr's race had raised great anticipation among fans as he was set to go head to head against Paris Olympics bronze medalist Yared Nuguse, who, before the race, held the record for running the second-fastest indoor mile in the history of the sport.

Nuguse asserted his dominance at the Millrose Games and set a new world record in the indoor mile event with a performance of 3:43.63 to clinch the title. Josh Kerr took to Instagram to express his thoughts about withdrawing from his season opener. The British athlete shed light on how the build-up to his first event of the year was a very tough process.

He expressed his disappointment on being unable to compete at the Millrose Games and revealed that he trusted the decision of his coaches.

"The build-up for a race is an arduous process. I was gutted to not toe the line but I trust my coaching staff and the decisions made. Congratulations to the records set. It’s an exciting time to be a miler in the sport. Eyes on GST," he wrote.

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Josh Kerr on his plans for the early Indoor season

Kerr at the World Athletics Championships. Budapest 2023. - Source: Getty

Josh Kerr revealed his plans for the early indoor season during an interview with Citius Mag during the Millrose Games. The British athlete expressed how he is not looking to break the world record but is focused on sticking to his race strategy and creating a game plan with the situation in hand.

“I’m not here for a world record. That’s not really where my eyes go. I just want to come out with a win. For me, I’m focused on the competitors, focused on their moves. I have a pretty solid game plan for what I think is going to happen,” he said.

Furthermore, he expressed how he believes that a great performance will come as a by-product of great race execution. After withdrawing from his season opener, Josh Kerr is set to make his first appearance of 2025 at the inaugural edition of Michael Johnson's track meet, Grand Slam Track.