Josh Kerr hoping Glasgow gold can help inspire next generation of athletes

Josh Kerr is hoping his gold medal victory on Saturday night will help inspire the next generation of Scottish and British athletes to reach the top of their chosen sport.

The 25-year-old became world indoor champion in the 3000 metres at the Emirates Arena to add to the title he won at the world championships in Bucharest last year.

And he admits that doing it in front of a home crowd made it that bit more special for him after running the course in a time of 7:42.98 and ending a 31-year-old for a Scottish world indoor champion.

He said: “Being able to do that in front of a home crowd is so special, and being able to spend a bit of time with some of the people who came out to watch it today is a very special feeling.

“It’s a full circle moment for me, coming back to this track and doing it where I learned my racing craft.

“I went away to step up my level and make sure I could put in performances like that with a British crowd and a Scottish crowd behind me, so it was a really nice moment.

“I’ve said it a couple of times that I’ve been sitting in my hotel room the last couple of days like a kid of Christmas Eve knowing the performance that I’m ready and capable of doing and just wanted to get it right today and it just felt like my day.

“I work very hard on the mental side as well as the physical side of the sport and it was my moment so I just had to stay calm and relaxed and keep my heart rate low for that one race.

“It’s about turning up at championships and performing and that’s what I do, that’s why I’m in the sport and when the pressure is on and lights are on I put my shades on and have a good time.”

He hopes his victory, and the Glasgow championships as a whole, can be a springboard to any youngsters watching to reach their goals.

He said: “I hope (this event) can put faith in the system, in the grassroots, I hope everyone watching can take inspiration and know that if you want to be the best in the world, and you’re from Scotland, from the UK, then you can, we have the facilities and the support staff to go and do that.

“That’s what I’m here to do and show that is the process that I had for many, many years, it’s an amazing sport but it’s a very difficult sport and I hope people can find inspiration from that today.”