Josh Kerr: Why preparation beyond track sets him apart for 2024 Olympics

Josh Kerr: Why preparation beyond track sets him apart for 2024 Olympics

Festus Chuma 14:45 - 04.04.2024

Scottish distance runner Josh Kerr has revealed that he visited the Stade de France in December 2023 and disclosed his mission.

Reigning 1500m World Champion Josh Kerr has been discreetly paving his path towards Olympic glory with a clandestine visit to the iconic Stade de France, the forthcoming battleground for the 2024 Olympics track and field events. 

Fresh off his triumphant victory at the World Indoors in Glasgow, where he clinched the Men’s 3000m gold, adding to his illustrious collection which includes the Budapest 2023 title in the Men’s 1500m, Josh’s visit to Paris was a strategic move, shrouded in both preparation and ambition.

"I spent a little time in Paris over Christmas," Ker revealed as per The Herald.

His trip was not just a leisurely holiday visit but a calculated step towards familiarizing himself with the Olympic venue. 

"I wanted to go over there and see what the track was like for the Olympics. I wanted to see the stadium at Stade de France and just familiarize myself with the surroundings as much as I could," he explained.

Kerr’s approach to his career is deeply rooted in planning and visualization, a method that has evidently borne fruit, considering his monumental rise in the sport.

 "Yes, that was the forward planning started. I am a planner by nature. I like to know where I am going to be; what the stadium and the track look like; where I am going to race," Kerr added.

The significance of Josh’s visit extends beyond personal preparation; it represents a beacon of hope and ambition for Scottish athletics. 

Kerr’s bronze medal in the 1500m at the last Olympics in Japan, alongside Laura Muir’s silver, marked a historic moment for Scotland, being the first individual medals Scots have won since 1988. 

With a century passing since Eric Liddell’s 400m gold in Paris in 1924, and 44 years since Allan Wells’ 100m gold in Moscow, Josh is well aware of the historical significance and the expectations resting on his and his contemporaries' shoulders.

"It is the job of this current generation to try and get medals and write history for athletics in Scotland – that’s my job and the job of Jake Wightman, Neil Gourley, Laura Muir, Jemma Reekie, Eilish McColgan (and others). We take that very seriously," he concluded.

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