KERR FOCUSED

I want to get what I deserve in LA' - Kerr eyes gold in 2028

The Edinburgh athlete had spoken long and loud about how he was coming to France for gold.

In Summary

•It means Kerr must win as a 30-year-old at the 2028 Games in his adopted home of LA if he is to claim Olympic gold.

•Were it not for Hocker, Kerr's time would have been the fastest in Olympic history

Briton Josh Kerr
Briton Josh Kerr
Image: XINHUA

Josh Kerr says the prospect of winning 1500m gold in a Hollywood ending in Los Angeles to complete the full set of Olympic medals will motivate him for the next four years.

The 26-year-old has become the first Scottish athlete to win track medals at successive Games, running a personal best to take silver in Paris on Tuesday after claiming bronze in Tokyo three years ago.

The Edinburgh athlete had spoken long and loud about how he was coming to France for gold.

But, as he and great rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen were consumed in a compelling contest over three-and-three-quarter laps of the Stade de France, Cole Hocker of the United States stole in over the last few metres to win gold by 0.2 seconds.

It means Kerr must win as a 30-year-old at the 2028 Games in his adopted home of LA if he is to claim Olympic gold.

"It's not what I wanted but the silver is something physical to show for the work I've put in," he told BBC Sport Scotland.

"We were pretty close but the mind goes straight to 'OK, the storyline of bronze, silver, gold over 12 years is pretty cool," 

"The competitor in me is thinking straight towards that. But the human inside me thinks I put together the best race I've ever run and walked away with an Olympic silver medal, which is pretty cool."

Were it not for Hocker, Kerr's time would have been the fastest in Olympic history. He sliced more than a second off his personal best and snatched Mo Farah's British record over the distance.