Josh Kerr spoke about his childhood dream of winning the Olympics as he gears up to compete in the 1500m at the quadrennial Games in Paris. After winning the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, Kerr will be targeting the pinnacle spot in Paris as he is set to go head-to-head against arch-rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
Josh Kerr began the Olympic season in great form with an incredible performance in the Indoor season as well as the outdoor season ahead of the Olympics. His Indoor two-mile world record at the Millrose Games and the gold medal in the 3000m at the World Athletics Indoor Championships held in Glasgow are two of his best performances in the Indoor season.
He went head to head against Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the famous 'Bowerman Mile' at the Prefontaine Classic and managed to secure the win after a dominant and confident display of athleticism winning the race with a time of 3:45.34, thereby creating a new British record.
As he heads to the Paris Olympics in a quest for his first Olympic Gold medal, Kerr took to Instagram to share a glimpse of his journey from being an NCAA athlete to turning professional and continuing his pursuit for greatness. Kerr credited his coach for believing in him and supporting his goal for the Paris Olympics 2024.
"When I was 17, I made the decision to move to the US to take my career to the next level. No one gave me a chance, but I found a coach who believed in me. I had success at the NCAA level, which led to a brand and Coach Danny that supported my goal for Paris 2024. Each year, I have learned something new about myself and the dream I’ve been chasing since I was 10. In two days, I will toe the line in pursuit of this goal," read the caption.
Josh Kerr on the excitement of competing in the Paris Olympics
Josh Kerr spoke to Olympic.com about competing in the Paris Olympics. He expressed his excitement to compete in the French Capital because it is close to his home.
Moreover, he was looking forward to the electric atmosphere in the arena as he took to the track in the 1500m.
"When Paris was announced, I was like, outside of it being in the UK, having it in Europe is very special, very close to home. So having a city that will create the buzz around it like Paris will, you know the energy of that city," he said.
Josh Kerr will be in action in the Men's 1500m heats at the Paris Olympics scheduled on August 2, 2024, at 11:10 a.m. (local time).