The Diamond League Finals take place in Brussels this weekend, but there will be no Josh Kerr present in the penultimate event of the athletics season.
The campaign's leading track and field stars will be battling to get their hands on a coveted Diamond Trophy at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme, as Brussels' King Baudouin Stadium hosts the Diamond League's showpiece for the second time since 2022.
Each discipline consists of a fascinating line-up, and the men's 1500m is no different, with reigning Olympic champion Cole Hocker going up against two-time world champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who claimed a record seventh European gold in Birmingham a month ago.
However, this year's Diamond League final field has a notable absentee in the shape of Josh Kerr - and that unfortunately means we'll have to wait a little longer for the absorbing Kerr-Ingebrigtsen rivalry to be renewed.
Kerr made history at the Diamond League London meeting in July as he smashed the long-standing men's mile world record, and yet he will not be competing for top honours in the competition's end-of-season event.
Why is Josh Kerr not competing in the Diamond League Finals?
Kerr will not feature in the 1500m field as he did not accrue enough points over the course of the Diamond League season to qualify for the final.
In the Diamond League, competitors will compete for points at the 14 series meetings, and the 10 athletes with the most points at the end of the regular season will qualify for the final.
Kerr finished 12th overall with eight points, one less than his nemesis Ingrebigtsen, who ranked 11th. However, the Norwegian is able to feature in the final having received a global wildcard. Each discipline is permitted one wildcard slot, which is granted by host organisers in Brussels.
Kerr's absence from the Diamond League showpiece means the Scotsman is directing all of his attention to the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest next weekend.
The 2023 world champion has been confirmed for the 1500m event and will come up against Ingebrigtsen, who also has an automatic entry to the 5000m as the reigning Olympic champion in that event.
Kerr said: “I’ve made some choices this season that have created plenty of noise, but I’ve always wanted to prove myself in the biggest races, against the best in the world.
"Budapest gives me another opportunity to do that, and I’m coming to compete for the win.”
