Josh Kerr claims he’s the best — and has the blueprint to beat Cole Hocker

Filled with the unbreakable confidence that has raised eyebrows and brought admiration in equal measure over the past five years, Josh Kerr is ready to take back what belongs to him. Six months on from tearing a calf muscle when attempting to retain his 1500m world title, an injury which made his autumn a write-off, and 19 months since being outkicked by Cole Hocker in the Olympic final , Kerr will seek to re-establish his top dog credentials over double that distance at the World Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland on Saturday night. “I believe I’m the best athlete in the world over these distances and no one in the world can convince me otherwise,” he says.

“I’m not looking for opinions on that. Even if the majority of the world don’t believe that’s true, that’s OK. It’s my job to go out and prove it.

” This should be the race of the weekend, a 15-lap barnstormer in which the Edinburgh athlete will battle a stacked field, headlined by Hocker, as he aims to reclaim the 3000m title he won so imperiously on home turf in Glasgow two years ago. He missed last year’s indoor championships in Nanjing because of illness, another hiccup during a disappointing 2025 that ended with him leaving Tokyo on crutches . Yet after a solid winter of rebuilding, Kerr is both certain he remains the one to beat and determined to remind any doubters.

"I'm the most experienced going into the championships, so I'm excited to regain the title that I believe is mine," he says, though the form guide clearly indicates he is not the favourite. That would be Hocker, who kicked past Kerr to win over two miles at the Millrose Games in early February and has subsequently run an American indoor record over the mile. Since that duel, Kerr has been sharpening his tools away from the spotlight, and he is adamant that 3000m is the sweet spot for his physical profile.