Kerr welcomes Ingebrigtsen rematch, vows not to lose

Josh Kerr, the reigning world mile record holder, has responded to criticism from rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen ahead of their highly anticipated rematch at the World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest. Ingebrigtsen had previously stated that athletes who bypass major competitions, such as the European Championships, are "ruining" the sport. Kerr, however, defended his selective racing schedule, emphasizing his focus on preparation and avoiding injury. "I'm very happy that he's back running and racing. It's great for our distance," Kerr said of Ingebrigtsen. "He's one of the best 1,500m runners, 5k runners of all time, and I'm excited to go out and race him. I'm not going to lose, but I'm excited to go out there and race." Kerr, who broke Hicham El Guerrouj's 27-year-old mile world record with a time of 3:42.66 in London earlier this season, also won the world indoor title and Commonwealth Games mile gold. He opted to skip several August and September Diamond League meetings, including the European Championships, to focus on peaking for the Ultimate Championships.