After his European Champion title over 5000 meters, Jakob Ingebrigtsen marched past the press with a frozen expression, straight to the doping control. Questions about the relationship between him and his father and former coach, Gjert Ingebrigtsen, made the 21-year-old flee in much the same way he ran to his third European Championship win: body slightly bent, eyes stoic straight ahead. A good dozen journalists from Norway called him questions in vain. The rift between father and son has been an explosive and popular topic for months.
On the track, too, Ingebrigtsen ran away from everyone when, after a tactical start to the race, he accelerated with a good kilometer to go. Spaniard Mohamed Katir and Italian Yemaneberhan Crippa stayed on but didn’t stand a chance. Ingebrigtsen won easily in a time of 13:21.13 minutes. He gave an interview to the Norwegian television channel NRK: “Reproducing successes is something to be proud of,” he said.
American-born Sam Parsons, who is starting for Germany, did well and finished sixth in 13:30.38 minutes. The second Norwegian, Narve Gilje Nordas, who had previously been expected to win a medal, was disappointed. After almost falling, he was only seventeenth.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen says his father quickly becomes restless, and that can rub off on everyone around him
Nordas is mainly an issue because of his coach. Because Gjert Ingebrigtsen, the coach of the European champion who was fired, traveled to Munich despite the family dispute. Just not as his son’s coach, but from Nordas.
Gjert Ingebrigtsen was never an athlete himself and is not a trained trainer either. Nevertheless, three of his six children have been stirring up medium and long-distance racing for years. The oldest, Henrik Ingebrigtsen, became European Champion over 1500 meters in Helsinki in 2012, Filip, who was two years younger, over the same distance in 2016. But the youngest, at 21, is already the most successful. Jakob holds the Olympic record over 1500 meters, nobody was faster indoors.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen (middle) runs a tactical 5000 meter race in Munich. Only one kilometer before the end he accelerates – and how.
(Photo: Soeren Stache / dpa)
In winter, the relationship between father and sons broke up. Gjert Ingebrigtsen’s dominant manner had long been notorious, but until an interview in the New York Times in July one could only speculate about the reasons for the rift. Jakob Ingebrigtsen said there that his father quickly became restless and that could rub off on everyone around him. Especially before a competition, he can quickly slip into anger. It is not the first example of an escalation when parents train their children in professional sports.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen said before the EM about possible talks with his father in Munich: “I’m not there to have a dialogue with anyone. I’m there to run. The only dialogue I have is with myself. ” He has found a new coach in brother Henrik. The fact that the father is also there angered even the Norwegian tabloid The daily newspaperwho wrote: “Hold pappa unna!” – Keep dad away!
Gjert Ingebrigtsen recently also got into a fight with a Norwegian doping expert
The Ingebrigtsens, that’s part of the story, are at least on the edge of what’s allowed. Henrik Ingebrigtsen was once suspected of doping by the athletics governing body, but this could never be substantiated. Gjert Ingebrigtsen last year called for artificial height generation methods to be allowed in Norway. This is intended to facilitate the enrichment of the blood with oxygen by causing a lack of oxygen, as in a high-altitude training camp. Just artificial.
Gjert Ingebrigtsen took on Norwegian doping expert Rune Andersen. He said: “Artificial oxygen deprivation is actually used by athletes who want to cheat. It can manipulate a blood test.”
Gjert Ingebrigtsen’s reaction: “Some of his views on these things are so extreme that I don’t feel like commenting on them even once. We live on two different planets.” Ingebrigtsen endorses the method because it’s good for athletes who are just below the world’s best and need a little boost. Artificial induction of oxygen deficiency is legal in most countries.
Speaking on his son’s 5000m victory, Gjert told Norwegian TV2: “My heart is always proud when my kids achieve their goals, but it’s clear that there’s something special about being on the sidelines and being a spectator, when you’re used to being there. But that’s the way it is and takes some getting used to.” The banished coach has another chance to get used to it on Thursday evening: Then the final over 1500 meters will take place. Jakob Ingebrigtsen is gold favorite again.
