Josh Kerr of Great Britain secured his second global title by clinching a remarkable gold medal in the 3,000m event, cheered on by an electrifying home crowd at the World Athletics Indoor Championships.
Amidst the thunderous cheers echoing throughout Glasgow’s Emirates Arena, world 1500m champion Kerr emerged victorious with a time of seven minutes and 42.98 seconds, marking the first Scottish athlete to claim world indoor gold in 31 years.
His achievement also secured Great Britain’s initial medal of the championships, following Laura Muir’s fifth-place finish in the women’s 3,000m event.
In the women’s 400m final, the Netherlands’ Femke Bol shattered the world record with a time of 49.17 seconds to claim gold, while British team captain Laviai Nielsen clocked a personal best of 50.89 seconds, narrowly missing out on the podium with a fourth-place finish.
Kerr delivers gold on homecoming
Kerr, who has made clear his intention to leave the Paris Olympics with a gold medal hanging around his neck, judged his finish to perfection as he overhauled Ethiopia’s defending champion Selemon Barega.
The 26-year-old maintained a firm grip on the lead after taking charge with 400m left, eliciting a standing ovation from the crowd as Kerr surged to a memorable victory.
Just over six months have elapsed since Kerr shocked reigning Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen to claim gold in the outdoor World Championship 1500m in Budapest.
Following his Olympic bronze win in Tokyo, Kerr has substantiated his aspirations set at the beginning of 2024 by breaking British icon Mo Farah’s world indoor two-mile record, which had endured for nine years. Now, adding another world gold to his repertoire only bolsters his confidence further.
After finishing 12th at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham two years ago, Kerr expressed his desire to finally perform well in front of a home crowd before these championships.
He fulfilled that ambition here, solidifying his status as the athlete to beat heading into Paris.