Ingebrigtsen Criticizes Kerr for Skipping European Championships

Norwegian runner Jakob Ingebrigtsen has reignited his long-running rivalry with British athlete Josh Kerr, accusing him of "ruining the sport" after Kerr chose to skip the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham. The criticism came as Ingebrigtsen made a successful return to competition, winning the 5,000 meters gold medal on August 11, 2026, after an 11-month absence due to Achilles surgery.

Ingebrigtsen, 25, expressed his disappointment that Kerr, the reigning Commonwealth champion and recent world record holder, was not in Birmingham. "Very. And I think a lot of people should be, because that is what championships are all about," Ingebrigtsen told the BBC. "It's not for us as athletes to choose almost where to participate. We have these championships for a reason, and that is for the best athletes to compete. That is the whole point. So I definitely think it is ruining the sport if we are not participating."

Kerr, 28, had set a new men's mile world record of 3 minutes 42.66 seconds at the London Diamond League in July before winning Commonwealth gold in Glasgow. He explained his decision to skip the European Championships as a necessary measure to manage his...