Britain’s defending champion Kerr, Wightman and Neil Gourley safely progressed – and saw their medal hopes boosted further as Frenchman Azeddine Habz and talented Kenyan teenager Phanuel Koech – the two fastest 1500m runners this year – both also exited the competition.
The men’s 1500m semi-finals take place on Monday (13:30 BST), with the final on Wednesday.
“I am coming here as someone who’s done it before and I am coming to do it again,” said Kerr, who qualified safely in second in his heat.
Speaking before Ingebrigtsen’s race, Kerr added: “I don’t care who gets through the rounds. The best guys are going to make the final and I’ll deal with who I’m going to deal with come Wednesday, but tomorrow night’s my number one priority.”
Wightman, prevented from contesting the past two global championships since his world triumph in 2022 because of injuries, won the heat in which Ingebrigtsen missed out.
“I thought because [Ingebrigtsen] was going to race, he’d be absolutely rolling. I don’t think anyone else could have stepped on a start line at a world champs having not raced at all,” Wightman said.
“I couldn’t do it, so fair play to him. It’s not even him that is the big danger anymore. It’s not just a one or two-horse race, it’s probably going to be a 12-horse race by the time the final comes around.”
www.bbc.com
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