Josh Kerr narrowly missed Olympic gold in the 1500m final despite finishing ahead of bitter rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
The Edinburgh-born runner won silver after being pipped by USA’s Cole Hocker in a new Olympic record.
The much-hyped showdown was billed as a two-horse race with Ingebrigtsen, but Hocker’s sprint in the final straight gave him a shock gold and a time of 3:27.65.
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Norwegian Ingebrigtsen finished out of the medals in fourth after setting a blistering pace and leading for most of the race.
American Yared Nuguse took bronze but was only a hundredth of a second behind Kerr.
There had been much talk beforehand about Kerr and Ingebrigtsen’s apparent dislike for each other after trading barbs over the past year or so.
Kerr’s time of 3:27.79 is a British record and the 26-year-old appeared happy with his silver, grabbing a union flag and hugging supporters on a lap of honour.
Speaking trackside, he admitted he’d been focussed on gold but said he was “really proud” and that it was a “heck of a step in the right direction”.
Britain’s Jack Carlin, Hamish Turnbull and Ed Lowe won silver in the cycling team sprint. Pic: AP
Sky Brown won bronze in the skateboarding. Pic: Reuters
Kerr, who beat Ingebrigtsen to gold in the world championships last year, won a bronze at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Other medals for Team GB on Tuesday were a silver for the men’s team sprint in the velodrome and a bronze for 16-year-old Sky Brown in the skateboarding.
Boxer Lewis Richardson, from Colchester, also had to settle for a bronze after narrowly losing by split decision in the 71kg semi-final.
He comes away with Britain’s only boxing medal of the games
Read more:
Full list of Team GB’s Olympic medals at Paris so far
Lewis Richardson was edged out by Mexico’s Marco Verde in the 71kg semi-final. Pic: AP
Daryll Neita (left) and Dina Asher-Smith (right) were just out the medals in the 200m. Pic: PA
Meanwhile, Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita missed out on the medals in the 200m final in the last event on track on Tuesday.
Asher-Smith – who was distraught after not making the 100m final – put in a strong performance but finished fourth in 22.22, with Neita in fifth.
America’s Gabby Thomas took gold, with 100m champion Julien Alfred in silver and Brittany Brown third.
Asher-Smith was far more upbeat after the race, telling reporters she was “really proud to have held my own” in such a strong field.
Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix missed out in the solo 10m diving. Pic: PA
Elsewhere, there was heartbreak for Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix earlier in the day, with the British diver in tears after only managing sixth in the 10m platform final despite a strong showing in the semis.
The 19-year-old won a bronze in the synchronised event earlier in the games.
Source Agencies
