Josh Kerr reclaimed the men’s 3,000m crown at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland, charging to victory in 7:35.56 and fending off American Cole Hocker, who had beaten him to Olympic gold in Paris 2024. France’s Yann Schrub took the bronze.
The Edinburgh-born Kerr, the 2023 world 1,500m champion, has been rebuilding after a grade-two calf tear sustained while defending his title at last summer’s World Championships in Japan. He paid tribute to his coach, medical team and family — singling out his mother — for helping him 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,” he told Sky Sports. Kerr described the injury as a freak setback and said his recovery surprised him; at one point he could not even walk to breakfast.
Tactically patient in Torun, Kerr sat just behind the pack before launching his decisive move with roughly 200 metres remaining, then resisted Hocker’s late charge to seal the win. He also spoke openly about Olympic ambitions as he eyes Los Angeles 2028, saying that despite world titles the one medal missing from his collection is Olympic gold and calling the Games “the pinnacle” of the sport.
Elsewhere, Sweden’s Armand Duplantis claimed 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 matched her national record of 7.03 to reach the final but could only manage 7.07 in the medal race and finished 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, Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson controlled her semi-final to stroll into Sunday’s final 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,” she said, noting that even when not running flat out the adrenaline of rounds takes its toll. “This is the exciting part. I’ll see what we can bring tomorrow.”