Josh Kerr – preparing for Paris

This is part 2 of Stuart Weir’s interview with Josh Kerr, the 2021 Olympic bronze medalist and 2023 WC gold medalist at 1,500 meters. Josh is focused on Paris 2024, and that is the subject of this interview.

Josh Kerr – preparing for Paris

Does being World Champion change anything as you enter the Olympic year?

Not really.  Every stone is gonna be turned this year. I’m good enough now. I know I have the capabilities, and we’re coming into an Olympic year at the peak of my career. And so I’m just gonna be on that road map to success, and it’s not going to change really anything that I do.

What does your coach Danny give you?

Danny’s gone through it.  Danny’s a single dad, and he’s also got 14 or 15 other athletes that he treats like his family. And I think it’s going really well. I think for him like he’s going through a lot in his life, but what that’s allowed him to do is really focus on the important things in his life, and that’s his daughter and his coaching. And I don’t believe that he’s missed a beat or skipped a beat when it comes to coaching, and I owe him my career. I will always have so much time to respect him for that. And I see him every day and I can’t really sing his praises enough really.

The World Indoors is in Scotland, will you be there?

We haven’t really made any set indoor plans yet outside of Millrose. And so we’re kind of in a situation where we roll with the punches a little bit. But again, August 6th is the big day, and if I’m able to be in a situation where I am pretty much trying to convince my coach that it’s a good idea to run two major championships within three or four months of each other, then I’ll be able to do it.  But that’s where it’s almost nice not to have the emotional, British coach thinking we have to do Glasgow. This is because that’s the drum I bang like ‘look, it’s in Glasgow.  I grew up racing there. It’s an hour away from where I live. I’ve got to do this’ and he’s like ‘well, you told me that everything has to be towards this August 6th goal.  So why are we getting emotional – when, like, even if you win World Indoor gold and if you don’t make the Olympics, then the year is a failure.

So it’s difficult to have an American coach sometimes, but it helps in other ways. And whereas if I had a British coach, I think it would be a situation of…