Kerr vs Ingebrigtsen? Or someone else? Assessing the Candidates for Men’s 1500m Gold at the Paris Olympics
28th May 2024
The rivalry that has shaped the last year in the men’s mile looks set to play out, but there are strong candidates waiting in the wings
23rd August 2023. Josh Kerr kicked past Jacob Ingebrigtsen in the home straight, to deny the Norwegian star the World Championships title for the second year in a row. What had seemed to be the Norwegian’s era following his Gold Medal in the Tokyo Olympics two years earlier aged just 21 was now being well and truly called into question, and the rivalry that would grow through a war of words off the track over the coming months looked set to define the Paris Olympics this year.
An injury lay-off for Ingebrigtsen during the winter combined with Kerr’s dominance in winning the 3000m at the World Indoor Championships in February and the Bowerman mile at the Prefontaine Classic in May has further shaken Ingebrigtsen’s previous air of invincibility, with many now making Kerr the favourite for gold in Paris. But the men’s 1500m has grown into one of the most exciting events in athletics over the last few years, and it would be unwise to treat the Olympics as a showdown between these bitter rivals.
Other Contenders
Jake Wightman
The 2022 World Champion over 1500m has had a difficult time with injuries since then but has showed signs of being back close to his best since the turn of the year. A 1:44.10 800m in Los Angeles on 18th May showed he has his speed back, and a solid 1:47.83 for 5th place in the Bowerman mile proves he is getting closer to having the endurance needed to hang with Ingebrigtsen until the latter stages of a 1500m race. In 2022, just one month before his World Championship triumph, he was soundly beaten in the mile at the Oslo Diamond League, running 3:50 on that occasion, so he is already in a better place this time around. A smart racer with arguably the best finishing speed on the circuit, it would be dangerous to write him off come August.
Yared Nuguse
Since joining On Athletics Club in June 2022, Nuguse has solidified his claim to be the best miler in the US and positioned himself in the mix with Kerr and Ingebrigtsen as part of a Big 3 in the event. A stellar year in 2023 saw him run 3:29.02 in the 1500m, 3:43.97 in the mile and 7:28.23 in the 3000m, underlining his status as a serious championship contender. His record in major Championships is patchy however, failing to make the US team for the 2022 World Championships, finishing 5th last year and pulling out of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics due to injury. He is a fantastic all-round 1500m runner but ranks below Wightman on this list as he will need to beat the Big 2 at their own game, whereas with his 800m pedigree and finishing speed, Wightman has something different to bring to the party.
Narve Nordas
The 25-year-old Norwegian brings an interesting back story to the table. Up until 2020 he focused mainly on running road Half Marathons, but after a switch to being coached by Gert Ingebrigtsen, Jacob’s father, his improvement in the middle distances was monumental, going from a 3:49 in 2019 to 3:29 in 2023. The acrimonious relationship between Jacob and Gert has spilled over into a strong Norwegian rivalry between the younger Ingebrigtsen and Nordas, culminating in the 2023 World Championships final where they finished second and third, with Ingebrigtsen seemingly reluctant to share the podium with his rival afterwards. He might lack the consistent pedigree of his rivals, but his quick progression and results so far suggest he could be a threat.
Other notable mentions
The Australian contingent led by Oliver Hoare and Stewy McSweyn are popular and usually present at the business end of major championships but have struggled to show that they can beat the best when everyone brings their A-game, Hoare’s win in the 2022 Commonwealth Games notwithstanding. Cole Hocker could be a serious threat if he can build on the potential that saw him place sixth at the 2021 Olympics aged just 19, especially as he is still one of the fastest finishers in the event. The Kenyans have been disappointing since Timothy Cheruiyot’s period of dominance from 2019-2021, but Abel Kipsang is sure to feature as a front-runner in any race, and there is always a dark horse ready to emerge - in this case it could be Brian Komen, an athlete with no results prior to 2023, but who has won the African Games, the Doha Diamond League meet and placed second in the prestigious Kip Keino Classic within the last two months. Reynold Cheruiyot is also an exciting prospect - the 19-year-old already has a 3:30.30 PB from 2023 and is in excellent form this year, winning the Kip Keino Classic.
