Olympics 2024: Josh Kerr has been planning Paris 1500m success for years

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Olympics 2024: Josh Kerr has been planning Paris 1500m success for years

High in the stands at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest in August 2023, sat John and Jill Kerr.

Surrounded by people wearing t-shirts and paraphernalia supporting their son in the world 1500m final, they sat anonymously. They knew his plan, but that did not stop the nerves.

They stayed in their seats to start with, watching as their boy stayed off the front. That was not in the script.

It was not until the last 400m that they got to their feet as Josh battled to the front, kicked, and strained for gold.

There were backslaps from strangers and sunglasses went flying, as they were practically carried down to the side of the track.

Kerr, now the world’s best, jogged over and embraced his mum, then dad. A life’s work had just come to fruition.

They would never have envisaged such a moment when they took both sons along to athletics as boys.

John, who was a professional rugby player, and Jill, who played tennis and became a physiotherapist, knew the value of sport.

Josh and his older brother Jake – who would represent Scotland at rugby – were taken to all sorts across Edinburgh.

“They tried everything, and enjoyed everything. It was very much a case of any sport is better than homework probably,” John says.

“We were just trying to tire them out,” Jill adds.

As well as rugby, both boys found a home at Edinburgh Athletics Club.

Jake swept up national titles in his early teens. Josh, 18 months younger, had his own successes but was less outwardly confident.

Some mistook that for a lack of passion or effort at times, but his parents knew how competitive he was and what he put in to every session, race, or match.

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