Jakob Ingebrigtsen was stunned in the 1500m heats to crash out of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo with the Norwegian’s rival Josh Kerr able to cruise into the semi-finals.
Ingebrigtsen has been contending with an Achilles injury all season and was unable to race during the outdoor season until arriving in Japan.
And the 5000m Olympic champion, who was upset by Kerr in the 1500m at the last World Championships in Budapest, was unable to pull off a remarkable comeback, finishing outside the top six in 3:37.84, with Great Britain’s Jake Wightman, who also pipped Ingebrigtsen to world gold in 2022, winning heat four in 3:36.90.
But defending champion Kerr eased through to Monday’s semi-final, logging the second-fastest time from both the first heat and overall in 3:35.98, with gold medal favourite Niels Laros, from the Netherlands, and Team USA’s Olympic champion Cole Hocker also safely through.
“I don’t really care who gets through the rounds,” insisted Kerr, before Ingebrigtsen’s heat.
“The best guys are going to make the final, and I’ll move on from there and deal with the people that I’m going to deal with come Wednesday, but tomorrow night’s my number one priority.
“It doesn’t matter who the favourite is. I wasn’t the favourite when I won, Jake wasn’t the favourite when he won. I think everyone has a chance, everyone who stands with a foot on the start line.
“I don’t know how their buildup has gone. Great, not great, whatever. I’m focused on myself and I think we’ll have an absolute friggin blast on Wednesday.”
Ingebrigtsen, the reigning world and Olympic 5000m champion, insisted his worlds were not over after finishing eighth in his heat.
“It’s a first-time experience that I haven’t got to the next round,” he said. “Of course, it’s very disappointing, but at the same time it is a reality check. This is an event that’s very competitive.
“You need to prepare your best and of course, I’m not there. I think I’m probably closer for the 5000m race right now. I’ll recover and have a couple of good days until I go again. I was trying to do my best to advance to the semi-final but it was terrible. You have to start and you have to try.”
France’s Azeddine Habz, who arrived in Tokyo with the world-leading time, also missed out, and Kenya’s Phanuel Kipkosgei Koech, another contender, went down in the last lap of Ingebrigtsen and Wightman’s heat.
Wightman said: “That’s why I tried to get to the front, because I heard how dramatic it was behind.
“I didn’t want any action of that or any involvement. I didn’t want to go and win the heat, but I felt comfortable enough, and it was just better to stay on your feet, because it sounded at points like there were other people about to (go down).”
Wightman, who suffered his own series of injuries and setbacks since claiming the title in Eugene, was full of respect for Ingebrigtsen’s effort.
“I thought because he was going to race, he’d be absolutely rolling,” he added, “but I don’t think anyone else could have stepped on a start line at a world champs having not raced at all.
“I couldn’t do it, so fair play to him. And it’s not even him that is the big danger anymore. It’s not just a one or two-horse race, it’s probably going to be a 12-horse race by the time the final comes around.”
Neil Gourley also booked his place, making it a Scottish trio in the semis, but Elliot Giles did not qualify.
PA contributed to this report
