For the second time in less than a month, the athletics world was reminded that there is rather more to the men’s 1500m just now than the alpha rivalry between Josh Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
After Cole Hocker upstaged them both at the Olympic Games in Paris four weeks ago, it was the turn in Zurich of his American compatriot Yared Nuguse to demonstrate that Ingebrigtsen and Kerr are not always the best runners as well as the most entertaining talkers.
Having tracked Ingebrigtsen for every step of the race, Nuguse timed his finish perfectly to come past the Norwegian in the finishing straight, while Kerr, who had briefly also put himself in position to challenge, faded disappointingly to fifth. It was at least confirmation of the rare compliment that Ingebrigtsen had paid Kerr and his coach Danny Mackey before the race in noting that the Scot was particularly adept at peaking each season for the most important race.
Kerr had run 3min 27.79sec when it mattered most, inside the Stade de France, but, even with an intense training block at altitude in Albuquerque since, looked jaded following the huge emotional high of Paris. He will surely now finish his season and set his sights on the big looming showdown in Tokyo next year when Ingebrigtsen will be determined to take the world 1500m crown from his shoulders.
Ingebrigtsen has himself won Olympic 5,000m gold and set a 3,000m world record since the Paris defeat but, having complained before this race of an infection, was clearly also below his best.
