SO CLOSE

Josh Kerr beats arch-rival Ingebrigtsen in 1500m but US's Hocker slips past for gold

- JEREMY ARMSTRONG

RUNNER Josh Kerr beat his archrival Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the 1500m final last night but just missed out on gold-medal glory.

Kerr moved off the final bend past the Norwegian and, just metres from the line, looked odds-on to win.

But he had taken his eye off American Cole Hocker, who burst past him.

Kerr, shook his head in disbelief as Hocker, 23, raced past in an Olympic record time of 3.27.65. But the Scot will have been pleased that his own time - 3:27.79 was a new British record and that enemy Ingebrigtsen was relegated to fourth place behind Yared Nuguse of the US.

Ingebrigtsen, 23, insulted 26-year-old Kerr's friend Jake Wightman in 2022, sparking their feud.

Before the longawaited track clash, Kerr said: "We are not the best of friends and it is not an act."