Josh Kerr is relishing a return to home soil as he goes for 3000m gold at the World Athletics Indoor Championships on Saturday.
Edinburgh-born Kerr returns to Scotland from his stateside training base as one of the stars of the sport following his stunning 1500m world outdoor gold last summer in Budapest and will headline Saturday's evening session alongside fellow Scot Laura Muir.
The 26-year-old was a last-minute entrant to the championships in Glasgow but revealed it is all part of a finely-tuned plan focused on securing Olympic gold in Paris this summer.
“It was just making sure the body wasn’t fighting the training,” he explained. “I didn’t want to give up the opportunity of another Olympic medal because I was forcing my hand to be at a home championships.
“I wanted to be here, and that meant I had to be extremely regimented in everything that I did to show that I was in a great position.
“Over the years I have realised I need to get stronger and I have only run one 3k and one two mile in my career and both of them were wins and reasonably quick.
“I am trying to get better at that and focus on some of the things that maybe I haven’t done well in the past and hopefully that will bring me through the three rounds of the 1500m in the Olympics.
"Spending a bit more time in a stadium, a couple of more laps round with this crowd, it will be a bit of fun.
“I grew up racing here, I have probably raced in Glasgow 50 or 60 times. This place is going to be absolutely electric.
“It has an amazing balance between getting enough people in here but also feeling like it’s a small stadium where everyone feels on top of you.
“I think it’s going to be so loud and amazing and I don’t think anyone puts on a running event like the UK does, so I am pretty excited.”
Kerr arrives at the Emirates Arena in fine form, clocking a 3000m personal best of 7:30.14 in New York earlier this year along with a world best two-mile time of 8:00.67.
He won 1500m bronze at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago but has his eyes on gold in Paris, where he will have to get past reigning champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
The pair have developed a fierce rivalry since Kerr powered past the Norwegian on the home straight in Budapest last year, but the Edinburgh man insisted he is not listening to all the background noise - including Ingebrigtsen's claim that he could beat Kerr 'blindfolded'.
“There is a lot more external noise but internally this has always been the goal, this has always been the athlete I thought I was,” said Kerr. “Maybe I hadn’t proved that enough in 2021 and externally, but internally this was always the level.
“It is getting a bit louder but change your phone number and no one knows who you are. I focus on myself and make sure I can compete at the highest level when the stage is right."
Kerr tops Saturday night's billing alongside Muir, who also competes in the 3000m at 8.15pm before Kerr goes at 8.45pm.
Muir faces a tall order amidst a filled brimming with talent, including 5000m world record holder Gudaf Tsegay and 3000m steeplechase world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech but the 30-year-old is confident she can add to her pair of world indoor medals as part of her Olympic preparation.
"I'm so happy about where I'm at going into an Olympic year," she told the BBC. "I go into an Olympic year in the best place I could be and this championship is a huge stepping stone towards Paris this summer.
"That is the big goal for this year, so I am keeping this championship in perspective.
"I'm just so chuffed that I can be here and competing.
"I've never had a global championships in Scotland before. So it's incredibly exciting."
The world’s best athletes head to Scotland for the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24 from 1-3 March and you can keep up to date with the latest on the World Athletics website, its associated platforms and via broadcasters around the world.
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