Two Scots in 1500m final as Kerr & Gourley progress

There will be two Scots in the men’s 1500m Olympic final after both Josh Kerr and Neil Gourley advanced from their semi-finals.

Gold-medal contender Kerr played a three-and-a-half lap game of cat and mouse with Jakob Ingebrigtsen before easing up to finish second to his Norwegian rival in a heavily-stacked first semi.

Gourley then went out strong and held on to earn his place, posting a quicker time than Kerr in finishing third to ensure he would also be back on Tuesday.

“It’s a special thing,” said 29-year-old Gourley. “We’re really punching above our weight as a little nation here and we’ve got to appreciate how special that is for Scotland because it’s quite something.”

It would be even more special if one or both returned with a medal.

Kerr and Ingebrigtsen are the big tickets in the field and are expected to fight for gold and silver.

And while the latter charged to the front early and lead all the way to the finish, the Scot opted for a few judicious surges just to make sure his presence was felt.

“It was a good day,” Kerr told BBC Scotland. “It was nice to get the legs moving a little bit faster and I felt the crowd… we’re winning.

“It was top-heavy and I think it was obvious who the main players were going to be so I just kept an eye on the screen and made sure I got through smoothy.

“Now it’s just about getting a lot of sleep, a lot of good food and getting ready for the big one.”