Athletics: New Zealand's newest world champions Hamish Kerr, Geordie Beamish react to golden day in Glasgow

It's been a day of history in Glasgow - with back-to-back gold medals for the Kiwi team at the World Indoor Athletics Championships.    

Hamish Kerr's win in the high jump was followed by a surprise victory by 1500m runner George Beamish, who raced his way from relatively unknown to become the name on everyone's lips in Scotland.    

History-making, record-breaking, gold medal taking. By the end of the night New Zealand was the talk of the stadium.    

A gold medal haul started by Kerr in the morning that Beamish couldn't help but join in on, as the 27-year-old ran the race of a lifetime.

Hamish Kerr celebrates.
Hamish Kerr celebrates. Photo credit: Getty Images

"I just added the icing on top," Beamish told Newshub. "It's ridiculous huh.  

"Kiwis put together a good weekend, I just saw Hamish out there - we'll have a big celebration."  

The pair now join an exclusive four Kiwi club of those who have been crowned a world indoor athletics champion.    

"It was amazing hearing our national anthem being played out," said Kerr. "I'm still in shock.  

"[It] feels wild."   

The disbelief was contagious.

Jordie Beamish.
Jordie Beamish. Photo credit: Getty Images

"I didn't need the dream of world champion to get me out of bed," added Beamish. "But now that I am, it's ridiculous."  

Beamish came out of nowhere, and surged to gold with a final 50-metre sprint.    

"I don't think this will change much honestly," he continued. "Running this was part of prep for Paris.   

"Paris still seems like a long way away, [there's] a lot of work and training to get into."     

But for Kerr - who dominated throughout - he's aware his emphatic 2.36m jump into the history books now puts the target firmly on his back.   

"It's kind of scary. I think that, for me, I probably come across a pretty cruisy guy.  

"But belief for me is a constant thing I've had to deal with. Every comp you go out, and those first couple of warm-up jumps you're like 'oh yeah, I do remember how to high jump'.  

"Which seems so screwed up, but at the same time, that's the thing this competition gives me, that belief."   

And there's still room for improvement.

"He didn't even touch that 2.36m," said coach James Sandilands. "There's daylight there.  

"A little bit more would be nice, if he could keep going."  

The two Kiwi stars are soaking up global gold for the first time, both ready and set, to make a habit of it.