Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Edinburgh pair among Team GB trio to reach men's 1500m final

Josh Kerr of Team Great Britain competes in the men's 1500m semi-final on day thirteen of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on August 05, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Edinburgh pair Josh Kerr and Jake Wightman joined Welsh runner Jake Heyward in making it through to Saturday's final after advancing through their semi-finals on Thursday.

It is the first time all three Team GB entrants have advanced to the men’s 1500m final since 1984.

Wightman took victory in the first semi-final in a time of 3:33.48 ahead of the USA’s Cole Hocker and gold medal favourite Timothy Cheruiyot from Kenya.

The second semi-final was won by Kenya’s Abel Kipsang in 3:31.65, setting a new Olympic record, with Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen (3:32.13) second and Kerr third (3:32.18).

Heyward claimed a PB time of 3:32.82 to take sixth and qualify as one of the two fastest athletes not inside the top five.

All three win now compete for medals in the 1500m final due to take place at 12.40pm on Saturday.

Get a year of unlimited access to all The Scotsman's sport coverage without the need for a full subscription. Expert analysis of the biggest games, exclusive interviews, live blogs, transfer news and 70 per cent fewer ads on Scotsman.com - all for less than £1 a week. Subscribe to us today