Josh Kerr heats up the most well liked rivalry of the Olympic Games with the “Mile of the Century”

What a run by Josh Kerr!

This is a brand new British record in the lads's mile race.#BBCAthletics #EugeneDL pic.twitter.com/lDnHddRWEe

What a run by Josh Kerr!

This is a brand new British record in the lads's mile race.#BBCAthletics #EugeneDL pic.twitter.com/lDnHddRWEe

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) May 25, 2024

It was Ingebrigtsen's second consecutive loss against his elite peers, so it's protected to assume he might be at his best. The reigning Olympic 1,500m champion will react like a champion.

He ran the mile on Saturday in 3:45.60, his first outing since missing the indoor season resulting from an Achilles tendon injury.

“I tried to fight him,” said Ingebrigtsen, whose last race was the three,000 meters on the 2023 Prefontaine Classic in September. “But for me today was just about the time trial. Of course we race, but there is definitely a difference in the approach to this race. For some people this is their last test before the Olympics in Paris. But this is not my last test. So it's definitely a big difference in the way we all see this race. But it's a good fight.”

This race was so filled with talent that it was nicknamed the “Mile of the Century.” Amazon followed Ingebrigtsen with cameras, documenting the Norwegian star's run to Paris. This was probably the most hyped showdown of the 12 months. The eyes of the worldwide sporting world were on them. And it was Kerr's debut in Prefontaine.

He made it greater than clear on Friday that he got here to the University of Oregon seeking Norwegian smoke.

“I'm not here to resolve tensions,” Kerr said. Ingebrigtsen was sitting to his left as he said this. Kerr's stern expression and the dearth of conciliation in his tone showed how fed up he was.

“I'm here to run a fantastic mile that will hopefully go down in the history of the century. I'm here trying to be the best in the world. … And if that annoys people or upsets the competition, then it certainly will, because the whole world is trying to do what I'm doing.”

Relieve tensions? No. This is the most well liked argument since Kendrick Lamar and Drake.

And yes, Kerr listens to Kendrick.

“Yes, of course,” he said, smiling to verify that he understood the allusion.

Kerr was determined to ratchet up the stress to the limit. He is confident of his superiority on this discipline. Taking the lead so early was the form of performance that fuels this juicy soap opera.

Normally he plays the role of kicker. It's Ingebrigtsen who gets going early and challenges the others to maintain up with him. It's an influence play. If his opponents can conserve energy while he bears the brunt of the pace-setting, they usually still can't catch him, that just proves his dominance. But Kerr didn't stay behind this time. He was attempting to hit a nerve, and it was more likely to be an enormous one.

“I'm enjoying it,” Kerr said. “At this point in your career, you always look back and think, 'Those were the glory days.' And I know they are now. So I'm just enjoying it as much as I can.”

The field was strong. The world's best time – one of the best of the calendar 12 months – on arrival in Prefontaine was achieved by Nuguse in February on the Millrose Games in New York with 3:47.83. On Saturday, Wightman achieved the identical time at Hayward Field and finished fifth. Seven runners managed times under 3:49.

But after three of the 4 laps, Kerr, Ingebrigtsen and Nuguse were within the lead, underlining that this trio are the Big Three of the center distance on the road to Paris.

Nuguse, the American record holder, finished third with 3:46.22. He is definitely the J. Cole on this. Nuguse is clearly the most endearing of the trio and has stayed out of the hostilities. He has a smile worthy of an amusement park, as if it were drawn by a cartoonist. Befitting a future orthodontist, he only picks up positive vibes. He would much relatively analyze Pokémon or cheer for Taylor Swift than become involved within the competitive game.

Being in a position to operate within the background as an underestimated threat is considered one of the advantages of all the eye focused on the tensions between Kerr and Ingebrigtsen, in accordance with Nuguse, and he believes that makes him dangerous in Paris.

“I've always believed that happiness is a much stronger emotion than anger,” Nuguse said Friday. “Especially when you're racing. Anger is something that kind of comes and goes and fades away very quickly. But I think if you really enjoy what you're doing and you're having fun, that's what drives you to keep going and what really helps you in the last 200 meters. That's what I've always thought and it's always worked for me.”

The athletics magazine Citius offers a whole chronicle of the Kerr-Ingebrigtsen meat, which began in earnest in August 2023.

But to chop an extended story short: It all began on the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Ingebrigtsen became a worldwide star when he left the sphere behind to win gold within the 1,500 meters in 3:28.32, defeating Kenya's Timothy Cheruiyot. Kerr took advantage of a late surge to take bronze.

At the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Ingebrigtsen was still shining in gold, but Wightman surprised him within the 1,500 meters, pulled away in the ultimate 300 meters and snatched the gold from Ingebrigtsen.

That left the 2023 World Championships in Budapest as the following big stage for Ingebrigtsen to reclaim his status because the superior. But a late recovery from Kerr, much like Wightman's, helped Ingebrigtsen take silver again. After his loss, Ingebrigtsen said he was not one hundred pc, which somewhat clouded Kerr's breakthrough victory.

When later asked if he was looking forward to the rematch with Kerr, Ingebrigtsen revealed that he was not completely healthy and dismissed the notion that Kerr was his equal, calling him “just the next guy.”

In November, Kerr hit back, saying Ingebrigtsen's ego was pretty big and he had major weaknesses that he needed to handle higher or he wouldn't win gold in Paris.

In February, Ingebrigtsen told a Norwegian-language publication that he would win against Kerr and Wightman “98 times out of 100.”

Then, two weeks later, after Kerr set a brand new world record within the three-kilometer run on the Millrose Games, Ingebrigtsen – who was out of motion on the time resulting from injury – declared that he would have beaten Kerr blindfolded.

In March, Ingebrigtsen declared his rivals irrelevant and told The Times UK“The biggest problem is getting attention from people like Kerr. That's what he's looking for. He's missing something in himself that he's looking for in others.”

Yes, the stress has been constructing for nearly a 12 months. Saturday was not the time to let it die down. But let the feet do the talking. The packed house of seasoned racing fans at Hayward Field was almost drooling with excitement. Olympic-level drama at a Diamond League meet. What happened Saturday in Prefontaine only makes it more exciting once they meet again in August.

“Some of my competitors,” said Ingebrigtsen, “have clearly taken a step in the right direction. But not as big a step as might be necessary to be among the favorites in Paris.”