- The Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen won the semi-final of the 1500 meters
- Team GB’s Josh Kerr sailed to second place and secured a place in the final
Defending champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen and world champion Josh Kerr are expected to have a thrilling battle in the 1,500 metres final at the Olympics, but it was a sham match after they were drawn in the same semi-final on Sunday.
Britain’s Kerr took an immediate lead, while Norway’s Ingebrigtsen was at the back on a very slow first lap, before moving from last to first to take control.
From that point until the finish, Kerr was on his shoulder. Both men seemed to be very comfortable as Ingebrigtsen crossed the finish line in three minutes, 32.38, with Kerr one pace behind him.
Yared Nuguse and Hobbs Kessler gave the Americans a 1-2 in the second heat and they will be joined in the final by Cole Hocker, while Kenyan Timothy Cheruiyot, silver medalist in Tokyo and 2019 world champion, had to work hard to take fifth place in his heat and qualify.
Jakob Ingebrigsten (right) and Josh Kerr are safe in the 1500m final
It’s hard to look beyond the two big races, though, but in Tuesday’s final, one of the most anticipated races of the Games
Ingebrigtsen looked supreme when he won in Tokyo, but was beaten in successive world finals, in identical race conditions, by British duo Jake Wightman and Kerr.
Ingebrigtsen, the fourth-fastest man in history with his European record of 3:26.73 last month, is aiming to equal Britain’s Sebastian Coe, the only man to have won two Olympic titles in the 1,500 metres.