"If they want it, they can come get it"- Josh Kerr sends strong message as Jakob Ingebrigtsen makes return to World Athletics Championships

Josh Kerr shared a strong message as he geared up to compete at the World Athletics Championships this weekend. The British athlete exuded confidence in his abilities as he weighed in on the competition in the men's 1500m at the biggest track event of the year.

The men's 1500m raised great anticipation among fans, as the event promises a highly competitive line-up of athletes that includes Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Josh Kerr, Timothy Cheruiyot, and Cole Hocker, among others. Norwegian athlete Jakob Ingebrigtsen had been dealing with an injury since the beginning of the outdoor season and would be competing in his first outdoor season race of the 2025 season in Tokyo.

Josh Kerr spoke about the competition in the 1500m and shared how his competitors have put forward great performances in the season; however, he expressed his confidence in being able to dominate the race and urged his competitors to take his 'title' from him as he aimed to defend the gold medal in Tokyo.

“These guys have run well all season. That’s fantastic. But I beat Cole every time that I’ve raced him over 1500m this year. I don’t believe I’ve ever lost to Laros. And if you look at how my history has worked, I make a big jump at this time of the season. It’s one of those things where people get excited about the new shiny toys. It’s my title. If they want it, they can come get it," she said.

Moreover, Josh Kerr shared that he had gone through a tough time in 2024; however, he had taken the necessary steps to make a strong comeback and successfully defend his title this season.

“I had some issues through the fall and winter of 2024, but I’ve taken another step forward where I believe I’m in better shape than I have ever been," he added.

---

Josh Kerr opens up about making the right decision in the Indoor season

Josh Kerr at the Novuna UK Athletics Championships 2025 - Source: Getty

Josh Kerr opened up about making the right decisions for his career on his official YouTube channel. The British athlete had withdrawn from the Millrose Games early in the indoor season due to an illness and spoke about the importance of taking rest and recovering, as it would help him in the long term.

Moreover, he expressed how one often forgets about the bigger picture while being frustrated about missing an opportunity.

"So, frustrating for sure but I think definitely the right decision, I think sometimes as athletes, we get so kind of involved in what we're doing in the moment, we kind of forget the big picture you know, whenever I go into a race its the biggest deal in the world and Millrose is such a big event for me every year so I wanted to get it right and I wanted to be in it but it just wasn't the right decision," he added.

Josh Kerr hoped to put forward his best performance on the track and push his limits to create an impact on the sport.