By Jake Bayliss,Tom Victor

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Josh Kerr is preparing to compete in the 1500m final at the World Athletics Championships on Wednesday, where he will chase glory for a second time. Few British athletes have claimed consecutive world titles in identical events, with Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis-Hill already part of that exclusive club. Kerr , 27, is one of three British athletes in the final. Neil Gourley secured his spot through a closely-contested third semi-final while Jake Wightman dominated in the fourth heat, though Elliot Giles missed out by the narrowest of margins. One notable absentee is Norwegian star Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who was eliminated in the final qualifying round following an injury-plagued campaign. This means Kerr cannot reignite his fierce rivalry with Ingebrigtsen , which reached its peak when he edged past him for world championship victory in 2023. Their rivalry resurfaced in 2024 when Kerr shattered Farah’s two-mile record. Although Ingebrigtsen wasn’t present at that meeting, he declared he could have defeated the Edinburgh runner “blindfolded” – prompting Kerr to issue his response. “Us 1500m runners are an interesting breed,” Kerr said, as per Wales Online . “We all have got quite big egos, we all want to win and we think we’re the best ever. “We’re not in a contact sport, so it’s this weird balance of all this s***-talking and going out and running fast. It’s fun and hopefully it’s interesting for people to watch. “Some things have been said on both sides but there’s no ill will. There’s mutual respect and we’re all looking to compete for an Olympic title. You’re finding a real clash of personalities and hopefully people enjoy it.” That was in February 2024 and the duo would get an opportunity to go head-to-head for Olympic glory in Paris later that year. However, both missed out on gold , with America’s Cole Hocker pulling off a shock win. Before that Olympic final, Kerr shared that his psychological mind-games extend to the sunglasses he sports during races . He might not be running blindfolded, to use Ingebrigtsen’s phrase, but Kerr ensures he reveals nothing to his opponents. “I first started wearing them in 2022 before the World Championships,” Kerr told Sky Sports in 2024. “I was looking for something to give me a bit more of an edge, a little bit different about me on that start line. “And the fun thing is that you can’t see my eyes when I’ve got them on. We sit from about 45 minutes to an hour before in a small room, and we all sit with each other, just kind of sitting down, not doing anything, all looking at each other. “It’s nice people not looking at my eyes. So a lot of people are staring at me, asking me if I’m looking at them. So it’s just a bit of an edge.” Athletics is a sport of fine lines, particularly in the most high-stakes events. Kerr has already won one world championship and now he’s poised for another shot at glory.