Josh Kerr reclaimed the men’s 3,000m title at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland, powering to victory in 7:35.56 to fend off American Cole Hocker, who had beaten him to Olympic gold in Paris 2024. France’s Yann Schrub took bronze.
The Edinburgh-born Kerr, the 2023 world 1,500m champion, has battled injury since a grade-two calf tear sustained while defending his title at last summer’s World Championships in Japan. He credited his coaching, medical team and family — singling out his mother — for his return to top form.
“Crossing that finish line, knowing and proving to myself – and everyone around me – that you’re still the best in the world, it’s a huge honour,” Kerr told Sky Sports. He described the injury as a freak setback but said the recovery surprised even him: at one point he could not walk himself to breakfast. Tactically patient in Torun, Kerr sat behind the pack and surged with about 200 metres to go, holding off Hocker’s late charge.
Kerr spoke openly about Olympic ambitions as he eyes Los Angeles 2028, adding that while he has world titles, the one medal missing from his collection is Olympic gold. “The Olympics is obviously the pinnacle of our sport… This is a life pursuit that I’ve been going after for the last 28 years,” he said.
Elsewhere in Torun, Sweden’s Armand Duplantis won a fourth world indoor pole vault title, clearing a championship-record 6.25m.
There was disappointment for British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith in the women’s 60m. The 30-year-old had matched her national record of 7.03 seconds to qualify for the final but could only manage 7.07 in the medal race, finishing seventh. “I’m disappointed, because I’m definitely in a great place,” she told the BBC. “I was hoping to go sub-seven today, but it just wasn’t to be. It is what it is.”
Earlier in the day, Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson controlled her semi-final to stroll into Sunday’s final, crossing in 1:58.53. The 24-year-old, who set a world indoor record of 1:54.87 in France last month, remains a strong favourite for gold. “It was good to get back out there again. Looking forward to my day and a half off now,” Hodgkinson told the BBC, noting that even when not running at full exertion the adrenaline of rounds takes energy. “This is the exciting part. I’ll see what we can bring tomorrow.”