JOSH Kerr ended Scotland’s 31-year wait for a world indoor title - and did so on home turf - as he stormed to 3000 metres gold in Glasgow.
Kerr powered away on the final lap to win comfortably in seven minutes 42.98 seconds, with defending champion Selemon Barega fading down the final straight as he was beaten to silver by American Yared Nuguse.
After disappointment for Laura Muir in the women’s 3000m final earlier in the evening, Kerr’s victory sparked huge celebrations in the Emirates Arena.
“I think I burned more energy celebrating than I did in the race, which is a bit embarrassing,” Kerr, the world 1500m champion outdoors, said on BBC Sport. “This competition is so important.
“I’ve come to championships before not ready to have a real go at it and I feel I’ve let the UK audience down a bit in the way I’ve performed in front of them. It was really important to come here fit and ready to go and really execute.
“I came in without a solid plan, just really fluid. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t acting emotionally.
“I kept a patient head and then I could really send it with 400 metres to go.”
Muir set a season’s best time of eight minutes 29.76secs, but that was only good enough for fifth as American Elle St Pierre took the win ahead of Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay.
St Pierre’s time of 8:20.87 was a World Indoor Championships record.
Molly Caudery delivered a second British gold of the night in the women’s pole vault, taking the win after New Zealand’s Eliza McCartney was unable to clear the bar at 4.90m.
The competition had been delayed by a terrible fall for France’s Margot Chevrier, who suffered a suspected broken ankle.
“I dreamt (of winning) but I wasn’t sure if it could come true,” Caudery said. “It was such a tough competition with six girls coming in over 80, and it was really emotional. I hope a lot of the girls get better as there were some injuries and nasty falls.
“It affected me during the competition because it was so emotional so I want to send my love to them.”
British team captain Laviai Nielsen just missed out on a medal in the women’s 400m, setting a personal best of 50.89 seconds to finish fourth as Dutch favourite Femke Bol took gold in a world record time of 49.17 seconds.
Belgium’s Alexander Doom caused an upset as he beat Karsten Warholm in the final 50m to take men’s 400m gold, while Grant Holloway delivered gold for the USA in the men’s 60m hurdles and Burkina Faso’s Hugues Fabrice-Zango won the men’s triple jump.
Julien Alfred delivered Saint Lucia’s first ever world indoor medal with gold in the women’s 60m final, edging out Poland’s Ewa Swoboda.
Jemma Reekie delighted her home crowd by cruising into the final of the women’s 800m with a “perfect” performance.
The 25-year-old Scot bided her time in second spot before passing Ethiopia’s Habitam Alemu on the final straight to win heat two in commanding fashion in a time of 1:58.28.
World number five Reekie progresses to Sunday’s medal race as the fastest qualifier across the two semi-finals and had a warning for her podium rivals.
She told BBC Sport: “(It was) perfect planning – you’d think Jon (Bigg, her coach) knew a bit about this sport by now. (It was) really good.
“I’m in really good shape. Obviously the final’s going to be really tough, but I want them to know if they’re coming to win on my track they’re going to have to work hard.
“I think it will be a fast one.”
At 19 years and 26 days, Italy’s Mattia Furlani became the youngest long jump medallist in World Indoor Championships history by claiming silver in the men’s event with a leap of 8.22m.
The teenager missed out on the title – to Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglou – only on countback, with bronze going to Carey McLeod of Jamaica (8.21m).
Britain’s David King qualified for the semi-finals of the men’s 60m hurdles after clocking 7.64 but compatriot Tade Ojora failed to make the cut in his heat.
Amy Hunt fell short in the women’s 60m, finishing fifth in her heat in a time of 7.29.
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