Jakob Ingebrigtsen has criticised Josh Kerr’s decision to miss the European Championships, saying top athletes skipping major events damages athletics. The Norwegian, returning from an 11-month injury absence, believes championships should bring together the best competitors and says he would not prioritise record attempts over titles.

Ingebrigtsen won 5,000m gold in Birmingham, his seventh European title and 20th major international track title since 2018, making him joint-most successful athlete in the championships’ history. Kerr recently broke the 27-year-old mile world record and won Commonwealth gold in Glasgow, but had not planned to contest the Europeans; their rivalry includes Kerr’s 2023 world title win and Ingebrigtsen’s Olympic victory.