Aug 14 (Reuters) - Jakob Ingebrigtsen says he was disappointed not to see 1,500 metres rival Josh Kerr at the European Championships, adding that athletes who skip major competitions are ruining the sport.
Kerr broke the 27-year-old mile world record in July with a time of 3:42.66 at the London Diamond League, and followed that up with a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in front of home fans in Glasgow earlier this month.
However, he decided to skip the European Championships to manage his workload.
Asked if he was disappointed that Kerr did not compete in Birmingham, Ingebrigtsen told the BBC: "Very - and I think a lot of people should be, because that is what championships are all about.
"It's not for us as athletes to choose almost where to participate," added the double Olympic gold medallist, who retained the 5,000 European title.
"We have these championships for a reason, and that is for the best athletes to compete - that is the whole point. So I definitely think it is ruining the sport if we are not participating.
"We all have different plans, but I could never see myself in that position," added Ingebrigtsen, who is not competing in the 1,500 at the meet.
The pair have developed a bitter rivalry over the years, with Ingebrigtsen once referring to Kerr as "just the next guy" and boasting he could outpace him blindfolded, while Kerr has said the Norwegian has major weaknesses.
Kerr's management did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment outside regular U.K. business hours.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
