GB's Josh Kerr Reclaims 3,000m Title at World Athletics Indoor Championships

For an optimal viewing experience, please use the Chrome browser. Josh Kerr of Great Britain secured the gold medal in the men's 3,000m event at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland, regaining the title he first won two years ago in Glasgow. After overcoming an injury-plagued 2025, the Edinburgh athlete made a remarkable comeback, outpacing American Cole Hocker, who had previously edged him out for Olympic gold in Paris. Kerr finished with a time of 7:35.56. Kerr, the 2023 world 1,500m champion, had suffered a grade-two calf tear while defending his title at the World Championships in Japan last summer. He credited his mother for his successful return to top form. "Crossing the finish line and proving to myself and everyone around me that I'm still the best in the world is a huge honor," Kerr said in an interview with Sky Sports after his victory. "The freak injury I sustained in Tokyo was just bad luck, but being able to turn it around the way we have is a massive testament to my coaching, physio, medical team, and everyone who has supported me. "I'm the one running, but I have an incredible team behind me. My mum is finally getting the recognition she deserves. "I think she might have been the loudest one in the crowd yesterday." Kerr added, "Overcoming those hurdles, both mentally and physically, is a huge moment and a significant step forward for me. "I'm not taking this win for granted, as world titles don't come around as often as I would have liked in my career. "I'm back on top, and that's where I intend to stay." To stay up-to-date with the latest sports news, videos, features, analysis, and more, follow Sky Sports on WhatsApp. Before the championships in Torun, Kerr revealed that there was a time when he couldn't even walk to breakfast, and the speed of his recovery had surprised even himself. Although he was not entirely pleased with how the race unfolded in Poland, he was relieved to have secured the win. Kerr patiently waited behind the pack leaders before making his move, surging to the front with about 200 meters remaining. He managed to hold off a late challenge from Hocker, who took silver, while France's Yann Schrub secured bronze. With over two years to go before the next Olympics, Kerr has already set his sights on gold at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, following his silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. "The Olympics are everything to me," he said. "I have the gold medals, but there's one medal missing from my collection. "As soon as the Paris Olympics were over, I started thinking about how to improve. It's been on my mind ever since the night of the final. This is a lifelong pursuit, and I'm not giving up on it anytime soon." In other action on Saturday evening in Torun, Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis won his fourth world title with a championship record clearance of 6.25m. Meanwhile, British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith finished seventh in the women's 60m final, despite having tied her own national record of 7.03 seconds to qualify for the final. Her time of 7.07 seconds in the final was not enough to secure a podium spot. "I'm disappointed because I'm in a great place right now," Asher-Smith told the BBC. "I was hoping to go sub-seven today, but it didn't happen. That's just how it is." Earlier in the afternoon session, Britain's Keely Hodgkinson easily advanced to the final of the women's 800m, controlling her semi-final from the front. As the Olympic champion and hot favorite for gold, Hodgkinson had set a new world indoor record of 1:54.87 in France last month. She crossed the line in 1:58.53. "It was good to get back out there again," the 24-year-old told the BBC, looking forward to her day and a half off before the final. "Even if you're not running at full exertion, the adrenaline of being at the stadium and on the start line still gets you nervous every round, and you can underestimate how much energy it takes out of you. "But this is the exciting part. Let's see what we can bring tomorrow."