‘Prepare for a battle’, Kerr warns 1500m rivals

Great Britain’s defending champion Josh Kerr said his rivals must be prepared for a “real battle” if they are to take his world 1500m crown, on a night when Olympic gold medallist Cole Hocker was disqualified from the competition.

Kerr, who had to settle for silver behind Hocker last summer, is the only athlete from the top five at the Paris Games through to the final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

The 27-year-old Scot led for the majority of his semi-final but, falling across the line after being tripped from behind, he finished behind Dutch contender Niels Laros.

British team-mate Jake Wightman, the 2022 world champion, and Neil Gourley both also progressed to the final.

The medal fight had already been blown wide open in the heats, where Frenchman Azeddine Habz and talented Kenyan teenager Phanuel Koech – the two fastest 1500m runners this year – as well as Norwegian star Jakob Ingebrigtsen all exited.

The men’s 1500m final takes place on Wednesday at 14:20 BST.

“I have my work cut out for me, but I feel pretty confident,” said Kerr.

“We’re getting places. I would say it’s among the most confident I’ve gone into a world final.

“But each championships bring their own kind of challenges and fun, and I’ll keep doing what I can to show up and medal and go after the gold.

Earlier on Monday evening, Great Britain’s Tyri Donovan produced a sensational dive across the line to qualify from his men’s 400m hurdles heat.

In a desperate last-ditch attempt to make the top four automatic qualification places, the 26-year-old finished second in a personal best of 48.26 seconds – the fourth-fastest time of the round.

British team-mate Alastair Chalmers also progressed, but Seamus Derbyshire missed out.

Tade Ojora failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the men’s 110m hurdles, finishing eighth in his heat.