Josh Kerr promises ‘vicious’ 1500m showdown with bitter rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen

Josh Kerr has promised a “vicious” race for the ages after he and bitter rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen breezed through their semi-final to set up a 1500m epic.

The tough-talking pair dominated their race in predictable fashion and a battle of bravado continued afterwards, with the Briton promising fireworks on Tuesday. Ahead of this showdown, the Norwegian reigning Olympic champion had stirred up tension by labelling Kerr “the Brit who never competes”.

Tuesday’s 1500m final has been billed for some time as one of the highlights of the Games and Kerr promised it will not disappoint.

Millions of viewers “should just be expecting one of the most vicious and hardest 1500s that the sport has seen in a very long time,” Kerr said.

“I’m ready to go after it. I think we all are. There’s been a lot of talk and words over the last 12 months, even two years. I’m just looking to settle that a little bit on Tuesday and give out my best performance.”

Kerr, who is wearing a specially designed pair of Brooks spikes in Paris with gold trim, beat Ingebrigtsen to the world 1500m title last August and also landed an early-season psychological blow with victory over a mile in May.

However, it was Ingebrigtsen who enjoys the very minor psychological upper hand going in to Tuesday after easing to a semi-final victory, with Kerr on his shoulder. There was barely anything in it, however. Ingebrigtsen won in 3min 32.38secs, with Kerr just eight-hundredths of a second behind. The Scot said the positions were meaningless. “I just needed to get top six today, which is almost easier qualification than the first round,” he said. “I knew it was going to be a little bit faster so got to the front and then just a simple day for me.”

Kerr and Ingebrigtsen have routinely been stoking up the hype this year and both were again in bullish form. “I’m here in my fifth major championship final in a row,” said Kerr. I don’t miss these because I’m good at what I do. And I’m gonna show everyone.”

Kerr: ‘Another day in the office for me’

Following his defeat to Kerr in Budapest last summer, Ingebrigtsen said he had been suffering with a virus, a comment that irked Kerr. Since then, it has been a constant back and forth leading to Tuesday.

Kerr added that he had been “picturing” winning gold “my whole life”.

“It’s going to be another day in the office for me,” he said. “I’m going to put on a performance in front of millions of people that bring the crowds continuously year on year. That’s what we’re here to do: give our sport the best crowd experiences. It’s my job.”

GB team-mate Neil Gourley also qualified for the final from the second semi, finishing third behind Americans Yared Nuguse and Hobbs Kessler.

When asked whether Kerr was right to describe Tuesday’s blockbuster as “vicious”, Ingebrigtsen was typically dismissive of his rival.

“Depends who you ask, maybe,” he said. “Racing is what you want it to be. I thrive in the competitive scene, that’s why I do this. So maybe there’s a difference among us. Some people like other stuff.”

Elsewhere, there is also optimism within Team GB of a medal in the men’s 400m, with Matthew Hudson-Smith and Charles Dobson booking places in the semi-finals after winning their heats.

Hudson-Smith is dreaming of gold. He was the fastest finisher in 44.78 seconds, ahead of the United States’ Christopher Bailey who also booked a spot in 44.89 alongside Norway’s Havard Bentdal Ingvaldsen.

Hudson-Smith, who was forced to miss the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after a series of injuries and setbacks, said: “It was an easy run, I was just going for the win and trying to make it as easy as possible and get ready for the semi-finals.”

Elsewhere in the evening session from the Stade de France on Sunday Keely Hodgkinson qualified with supreme confidence in the 800m but her team-mates Jemma Reekie and Phoebe Gill could not progress.

The men’s 100m final was won by Noah Lyles by just 0.005sec.

08:50 PM BST

Katzberg clinches gold

The greatest hammer thrower of his generation Katzberg has clinched gold in impressive fashion.

His rivals didn’t come close.

A curious-looking character, Katzberg, who is 22 going on 40 and wearing the air of heavy-metal rocker about him; but he has more than just bludgeon to his game.

Not as bulky as you’re average hammer thrower, Katzberg is lean, nimble and rapid across the circle as he pirouettes with a certain balletic quality that belies an underlying raw strength.

Not for nothing is he world, and now Olympic champion.

08:37 PM BST

Katzberg close to hammer gold

In the men’s hammer it’s down to the last two with Ethan Katzberg looking good for gold.

The long-haired, moustachioed Canadian leads the way, having managed 84.12 with his very first attempt.

The remaining contenders have only one throw left each and none have so much as breached the 80m barrier.

08:31 PM BST

Mahuchikh has fun, Gourley through

Mahuchikh has won the high jump and got to do the fun thing where the competition is over but she has another go at clearing an even higher height.

She didn’t make it, but did have a relaxing lie down and bit of shut-eye in a sleeping bag in between turns.

Finally, an athlete whose habits we can all hope to emulate.

Positive results for the two leading Brits in the 1500m semis, Kerr looking comfortably in second, Neil Gourley pipped close to the end but safe in third.

Less joy for George Mills in the first semi, finishing 11th out of 12.

08:28 PM BST

Mahuchikh takes high-jump gold

Mahuchikh has won the women’s high jump.

The Ukrainian really is in a class of her own, clearing all but one height at the first attempt, and sealing her gold medal by jumping 2.00m.

Mahuchikh did have one go at clearing 2.04 but after one attempt the world-record holder, world champion, world indoor champion, Euroepan champion and Olympic champion called it a day - or rather a very impressive night.

08:20 PM BST

Kerr into 1500m final

Another impressive race from Josh Kerr, who has booked his place in the 1500m final.

The semi was won by his great rival Jacob Ingebrigtsen in 3min 32.38sec but Kerr let the Norwegian have it, easing up to finish second with 3min 32.46sec.

He’ll be confident of beating him in the final.

08:07 PM BST

Olyslagers: something to write home about

Olyslagers makes it and the journal is straight out afterwards, plus the pen this time! Dear diary, just extended Olympic final.

Had a weird dream about my old primary school teacher. Ate a crepe for lunch etc.

08:05 PM BST

Hugely impressive Hodgkinson

Hugely impressive run from Hodgkinson, one of GB’s most likely athletics gold. A justified expectation on that evidence.

Never looked troubled, even when the South African Sekgodiso challenged her supremacy round the final turn.

Mahuchikh close to clinching high jump gold, over at 2m with something to spare, Olyslagers has one more attempt or it’s silver for her.

08:03 PM BST

Hodgkinson eases into final

Great Britain will have a women’s 800m finalist after Keeley Hodgkinson delivered an impressive semi-final victory.

Just like Reekie, she led from the front for the first lap, but unlike the Scot she accelerated away from her closest challengers in the final straight to win by a canter with a time of 1min 56.86sec and make a very clear gold-medal staking statement.

07:54 PM BST

Reekie and Gill gone

Reekie straining every sinew to hold onto her position in second down the final straight but she looked in trouble in the final stages and so it proved.

A quicker time than Gill’s but not enough for a place in the final and Gill gone now too, given the speed of the third and fourth-placed finishers in that semi.

British hopes in this event now rest solely with Keely Hodgkinson, who is up next.

07:50 PM BST

Reekie shocked in semis

Jemma Reekie looked in control as she rounded the final bend in front and going at a fast pace but the Scot started tying up and was swallowed up in the final straight to surprisingly finish in fifth place.

A bitter disappointment for Reekie, who was expecting to compete for a medal in this event.

07:46 PM BST

Future bright for Gill

Disappointment etched on Phoebe Gill’s face after her 800m semi, she’s now reliant on times from these second two semis to make the final.

Still only 17, so plenty of Olympics left in her future, all being well.

Intrigued by high-jumper Nicola Olyslagers who appeared to look at an illustrated journal after successfully clearing the current mark of 1.98m at her first attempt.

If she starts writing an entry questions will be asked.

07:43 PM BST

Agonising wait for Gill

It’s going to be an agonising wait for Phoebe Gill to see if she qualifies for the 800m final.

The 17-year-old finished fourth behind Mary Moraa, Worknesh Mesele and Daily Cooper Gaspar as she was outlasted in the final straight.

Gill’s time of 1min 58sec might do it but, if not, it’s a creditable effort for the debutant, who was only taking her A levels a couple of months ago.

07:36 PM BST

Mahuchikh setting high bar

Local interest in the high jump has ended with the elimination of Meniker but it will be fascinating to see how high the leading athletes will be able to take it.

Yaroslava Mahuchikh is enjoying her return to Paris. She set the word record here earlier this year and has cleared 1.95m no problem.

07:24 PM BST

Patterson paints a wonderful ‘pitcher’

Absolutely loving Aussie high-jumper Eleanor Patterson’s approach to her jumps which takes place as follows: brief shutting of the eyes, large intake of breath, little dance, enormous run-up, odd overhead throwing motion with right arm, jump.

Reminds me of the sort of odd wind-up which makes you fall in love with a baseball pitcher.

07:15 PM BST

Meniker giving locals hope

In the high jump the home crowd are right behind Nawal Meniker, the Frenchwoman who has just cleared 1.86m.

She’s now trying to negotiate 1.91.

Sad news for the Brazilian high jumper Valdileia Martins, who has had to retire without setting foot in the arena.

07:07 PM BST

100m men’s semi-finals under way

If you’re looking for updates from the men’s 100m that is being covered in a separate, comprehensive live blog.

The men’s semis are about to get under way, so why not join Rob Bagchi here?

07:00 PM BST

Calmly executed by Dobson

Calmly executed race from Dobson, easing away from his competitors in the final 100m.

He’s into the semis and here come the women’s high jump finalists, all 13 of them.

A reasonable amount of pizzazz as they emerge from the dressing room one by one, NFL-style.

A lot more blowing of kisses than you get with, say, the Cleveland Browns though.

06:55 PM BST

Dobson makes it into semi for Team GB

Good news for Team GB as Charlie Dobson has just produced a controlled and measured race to win his heat and join Hudson-Smith in the semi-final.

Dobson came home in 44.96 after Zablon Ekhal Ekwam went down like he’d been taken out by a sniper. Looked like a hamstring pull for the unfortunate Kenyan.

06:46 PM BST

Hudson-Smith has got a real chance

Eric Liddell was the last men’s 400m winner for Great Britain at the Olympics, 100 years ago.

On evidence of that run Matthew Hudson-Smith has got a real chance to snap that streak.

Looked to finish that heat with a fair bit left in reserve and the official stats rate his reaction time off the blocks at 0.165 seconds, the quickest in the race.

06:45 PM BST

Gardiner absence not a game-changer

Gardiner is ranked 15th in the world so not a huge game-changer for the competitors for this Olympic title, but sad/good news depending on how keen you are for every GB athlete to have the easiest possible path to glory.

06:43 PM BST

Eerie and disturbing stuff

Display between heats on the big screen of photographs of athletes from the Paris games 100 years ago made to mouth along with the lyrics of You’re The One That I Want from Grease. Eerie and disturbing stuff.

Really think we need to have a serious conversation about banning AI.

06:39 PM BST

Gardiner out of final

In the other heats strongly-fancied American Quincy Hall breezed into the semi-final with a time of 44.28 to send a message out to Hudson-Smith that he doesn’t plan to go down without a fight.

One of the other main contenders for gold, Steven Gardiner, however, will not be standing in his way at these Olympics.

The defending Olympic champion, from the Bahamas, did not appear in his heat, succumbing one assumes to the injuries that have plagued him this season.

06:27 PM BST

Hudson-Smith ‘excited’ to reach semi-final

Interviewed after his run Hudson-Smith says it was just a question of getting the job done and reaching the semi-final.

“I trained for it, so I’m not really surprised [about my time], I’m excited.

”I just wanted to execute and go for the win, ease it round and get through.”

Asked whether mentally he is in a better place than ever before, the Team GB runner concurred.

“Most definitely, I’ve got a group of champions around me, Christine Ohuruogu, my training partner Steven Gardiner, I’ve got the perfect combination, so it’s all down to me really.”

He’s certainly confident — and very well-placed for a medal.

06:10 PM BST

Hudson-Smith through to semi-final

Hudson-Smith eases home in first place with a controlled run of 44.07.

He led from the start and never looked in any jeopardy, slowing down at the line ahead of USA’s Christopher Bailey 44.89 and Havard Bentdal Ingvalsden of Norway.

06:06 PM BST

Hudson-Smith on the blocks

Back to tonight’s action and in a few moments Matt Hudson-Smith will be aiming to reach the 400m semi-finals.

The Brit is expected to make it through given his fine form and the fact he has posted the fastest time in the world this season for 400m flat.

His 43.74sec is quicker than gold-medal rival Quincy Hall’s fastest of 43.80.

Let’s see hoe he gets on.

05:56 PM BST

Alfred receives gold medal

After her scintillating display in the women’s 100m Julien Alfred has just received her gold medal.

The sprinter left her rivals trailing in her wake on a rainy Parisien evening to clinch gold for Saint Lucia in a national-record time of 10.72 on what, by contrast, was a frustrating evening for Great Britain’s Daryll Neita, who narrowly missed out on a medal.

05:43 PM BST

Welcome back to Stade de France

Good evening and welcome to what promises to be an absorbing evening of elite athletics at Paris 2024.

British interest lies very much on the track, where at 6.05pm Matthew Hudson-Smith will be running for a place in the 400m Olympic final, where he is among the favourites to win gold.

At 7.35pm Keely Hodgkinson and Gemma Reekie will be looking to keep their medal hopes alive in the women’s 800m semi-finals and at 8.10pm Josh Kerr, George Mills and Neil Gourley will contest the men’s 1500m semis.

In the field, the women will be seeing how high they can jump (6.55pm) and the men how far they can throw hammers (7.30pm).

Of course there is also the small matter of the semi-finals (7.05pm) and the final of the men’s 100m (8.50pm). The bluest of blue riband events will be covered in a separate blog, to which you will be pointed to in due course.

In the meantime, buckle up and follow the magic of track and field as it unfolds right here.