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No Kerr clash as Ingebrigtsen pulls out of Ultimate 1,500m / Photo: Jewel SAMAD - AFP
No Kerr clash as Ingebrigtsen pulls out of Ultimate 1,500m
A mouth-watering 1,500m clash between Jakob Ingebrigtsen and British rival Josh Kerr was scuppered on Saturday after the Norwegian withdrew from the race at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship.
Two-time Olympic gold medallist Ingebrigtsen stormed to victory in the 5,000m in Budapest on Friday and confirmed after that success he would indeed run in Sunday's 1,500m.
But the 25-year-old has since backtracked, saying: "Unfortunately I'm not in a position to go in back-to-back races.
"I would love for it to be different, and to be sharper in terms of recovery, but coming from a very difficult last two years with injury problems and achilles surgery I am forced to be more sensible than I would like to be.
"Ultimately, it is about getting back into racing, getting back to 100% fitness, and thinking about 2027.
"Just looking back a short time ago, it is unbelievable that we have been able to get this far in 2026 and be able to be here."
Ingebrigtsen returned to action last month to win his fourth successive European 5,000m title in Birmingham in his first race of the year following achilles surgery that saw him sidelined for 11 months.
Kerr, fresh from setting a mile world record, was not present at the European Championships, sparking an outburst from Ingebrigtsen.
The Norwegian said he was "very disappointed" that Kerr was not at those champs, suggesting it was "ruining the sport" if athletes avoided each other.
Kerr refused to directly address the Norwegian's criticism, saying: "I'm not trying to avoid racing. I think that's maybe where the misconception is.
"I love racing. I just don't love racing when I'm not ready to go and when that risk (of injury) is high. The reason I can race so well is because I pick my races," he added.
"I'm a human being at the end of the day... I'm not a robot."
Ingebrigtsen's absence from the 1,500m in Budapest deprives the Ultimate of a first head-to-head between Ingebrigtsen and 2023 world champion Kerr in two years.
Kerr will instead be up against Olympic champion Cole Hocker, who was second to the Norwegian in the 5,000m here, and Olympic bronze medallist Yared Nuguse, reigning world champion Isaac Nader and Jake Wightman, who was world champion back in 2022.
F.S.Meyer--BlnAP
