Latest news with #Sandnes
CNN
23-06-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Jakob Ingebrigtsen is on a mission to be ‘recognized as the best runner to exist'
Bobbing up and down in a swimming pool, his head barely above the surface of the water, Jakob Ingebrigtsen is being forced to take things slowly. Very, very slowly. As he moves at a snail's pace around the pool at his home in Sandnes, Norway, Ingebrigtsen is quietly plotting his return to the running track. An Achilles injury has kept him out of action of late, and the recovery process, which the two-time Olympic champion is documenting on his YouTube channel, seems arduous and painstaking – even boring. As well as low-impact 'aquajogging' around a small pool, Ingebrigtsen might work up a sweat on a cross-training machine or rehab his Achilles with some weighted calf lifts. It's hardly a position he wants to be in with the World Athletics Championships less than three months away, but the 24-year-old still hopes to upgrade the gold and silver medal he won two years ago. 'I want to do that just a little bit better,' he tells CNN Sports. 'That's the main goal.' Self-improvement is Ingebrigtsen's raison d'être, constantly chasing ways to get fitter and faster. He broke the indoor mile and 1,500-meter world records earlier this year, adding to his outdoor records in the 2,000 and 3,000 meters. Two indoor world titles in Nanjing, China followed, making him only the sixth male distance runner to win Olympic, world outdoor and world indoor gold medals. That seemed to set up Ingebrigtsen perfectly for the year ahead before his strained Achilles forced him to reevaluate things. It's unclear when he will be back racing, but it's hardly changed the overarching ambitions for his running career. 'As an individual athlete, I want to be recognized as the best runner to exist,' says Ingebrigtsen, adding: 'The goal is to compete as much as I can. I really enjoy testing myself and trying to run the fastest (possible) is a part of that test … I think my chances are good for running fast.' Ingebrigtsen has used his time away from competitions to announce the launch Spring Run Club alongside a group of elite Norwegian athletes, including brothers Henrik and Filip. It features an elite team for male and female athletes with access to high-end facilities, training camps and training plans – 'everything that can be very difficult to facilitate if you're by yourself,' says Ingebrigtsen. The club also caters for amateur runners through its online platform, where members receive workout suggestions, nutrition tips and invites to group runs and races. 'There's a very big interest in running, and it's skyrocketed the last couple years,' says Ingebrigtsen. 'I think we wanted to use the opportunity to inspire and help the average runner, hobby runner, sub elite, and also elite runner as the best way possible to inspire and bring our knowledge, our expertise.' For Ingebrigtsen, the project is a way to broaden his sphere of influence beyond individual accolades, part of a goal to 'improve the systems around the world and also in Norway.' Perhaps more than most, Ingebrigtsen has seen how challenging the life of a professional athlete can be, especially when the relationship with your coach – who also happens to be a parent – begins to break down. Up until 2022, he and his brothers were coached by their father, Gjert – the family patriarch who was renowned for maintaining a close grip on his children's training and lifestyle. A documentary series, 'Team Ingebrigtsen,' shed light on the father-son, athlete-coach dynamic, resulting in the Ingebrigtsens becoming the most famous family in track and field. Then in October 2023, Jakob, Henrik and Filip publicly accused their father of using physical violence and threats towards them. Those allegations were followed by a high-profile trial in Norwegian courts, at the end of which Gjert was convicted of assaulting his daughter, Ingrid, leading to a suspended prison sentence and a 10,000 Norwegian Krone (just over $1,000) fine. He was, however, acquitted of other charges, which included abusing Jakob, the family's most decorated and well-known athlete. Gjert's defense attorneys, John Christian Elden and Heidi Reisvang, said that the court verdict showed there was no evidence of the 59-year-old creating 'a continuous fear in his children.' Jakob spoke with CNN Sports while the trial was still ongoing. He did not want to comment on the outcome of the legal proceedings, according to his representative, Espen Skoland, but on the day the verdict was announced, he wrote a lengthy Instagram post about his own daughter, saying he 'will love and respect her unconditionally.' The rift with his father has resulted in Ingebrigtsen essentially being self-coached for the past three years of his career, though he does lean on his brothers, both experienced and decorated distance athletes in their own right, for guidance. Such an approach is unusual among top athletes, who would rely on a coach to arrange their training and racing schedules. 'We just want to remove the whole coach principle because that's not really an approach that we associate with,' says Ingebrigtsen. 'I think it's very important to understand what you're doing, and if you don't, then you only get this program from your coach (and) you're not really understanding what you're doing. 'Me, Henrik and Filip are coaching each other and discussing everything. We have a lot of knowledge and expertise between us, but still, we have different histories with different perspective, and also see things from a different point of view.' Despite his age, Ingebrigtsen has already established himself as one of the greatest middle-distance runners of all time, with multiple Olympic, world and European titles already to his name. He has, however, proven to be fallible, especially in such a competitive era for mile and 1,500-meter running. At last year's Paris Olympics, Ingebrigtsen experienced perhaps the most disappointing day of his career, leading a star-studded 1,500m field for most of the race before fading in the closing stages. He finished fourth, his title defense ending in tatters, but did bounce back to take 5,000m gold a few days later. That wasn't the first time that Ingebrigtsen has been outkicked and outmuscled at a major race. He was bested by Great Britain's Jake Wightman in the 1,500m at the 2022 World Athletics Champions, then again by another Brit, Josh Kerr, in the same race the following year. The rivalry between Ingebrigtsen and Kerr has spilled into a war of words in recent years, roughly dating back to when the former claimed to have been under the weather during the 2023 world championships. Kerr has since aimed jabs at his rival's ego, while Ingebrigtsen claimed last year that he could beat Kerr blindfolded in the 3,000 meters. The pair have not met on the track since last year's Olympics, with Kerr – along with Americans Cole Hocker and Yared Nuguse – signing up to race in Michael Johnson's Grand Slam Track league. Ingebrigtsen says that he has been watching some of those races from back home in Norway – Kerr won one of the three meets and finished second in another – but without reading too much into the results. 'Of course, I'm very focused on my own training and my own bubble at the moment, but I think the more competition, the better,' he says. 'I'm a big competitor and a big fan of competitions, I think that's what drives the sport forward. 'Ultimately, I think that the most important thing is that they (his rivals) have fun with doing what they're doing. At the same time, it's very difficult to kind of compare anything and pull and conclude anything out of the performances. If it's fun, then it's fun, and I think that's the most important thing for them.' It's hard to believe, given the fierce competitor inside him, that Ingebrigtsen wasn't watching those Grand Slam Track races with just a bit of envy. He says that he dialed back his training so as not to risk 'a serious and career-threatening injury' further down the line, but is still hopeful of making a return soon. At the world championships in Tokyo, he will be out to prove that his performance at the Olympics was nothing more than a minor blip. 'For me, I always try to improve,' says Ingebrigtsen. 'I always try to run a little bit faster, do things differently to see if we get a better result. Ultimately, you will at some point find the limits … That's just a part of developing.'
CNN
23-06-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Jakob Ingebrigtsen is on a mission to be ‘recognized as the best runner to exist'
Bobbing up and down in a swimming pool, his head barely above the surface of the water, Jakob Ingebrigtsen is being forced to take things slowly. Very, very slowly. As he moves at a snail's pace around the pool at his home in Sandnes, Norway, Ingebrigtsen is quietly plotting his return to the running track. An Achilles injury has kept him out of action of late, and the recovery process, which the two-time Olympic champion is documenting on his YouTube channel, seems arduous and painstaking – even boring. As well as low-impact 'aquajogging' around a small pool, Ingebrigtsen might work up a sweat on a cross-training machine or rehab his Achilles with some weighted calf lifts. It's hardly a position he wants to be in with the World Athletics Championships less than three months away, but the 24-year-old still hopes to upgrade the gold and silver medal he won two years ago. 'I want to do that just a little bit better,' he tells CNN Sports. 'That's the main goal.' Self-improvement is Ingebrigtsen's raison d'être, constantly chasing ways to get fitter and faster. He broke the indoor mile and 1,500-meter world records earlier this year, adding to his outdoor records in the 2,000 and 3,000 meters. Two indoor world titles in Nanjing, China followed, making him only the sixth male distance runner to win Olympic, world outdoor and world indoor gold medals. That seemed to set up Ingebrigtsen perfectly for the year ahead before his strained Achilles forced him to reevaluate things. It's unclear when he will be back racing, but it's hardly changed the overarching ambitions for his running career. 'As an individual athlete, I want to be recognized as the best runner to exist,' says Ingebrigtsen, adding: 'The goal is to compete as much as I can. I really enjoy testing myself and trying to run the fastest (possible) is a part of that test … I think my chances are good for running fast.' Ingebrigtsen has used his time away from competitions to announce the launch Spring Run Club alongside a group of elite Norwegian athletes, including brothers Henrik and Filip. It features an elite team for male and female athletes with access to high-end facilities, training camps and training plans – 'everything that can be very difficult to facilitate if you're by yourself,' says Ingebrigtsen. The club also caters for amateur runners through its online platform, where members receive workout suggestions, nutrition tips and invites to group runs and races. 'There's a very big interest in running, and it's skyrocketed the last couple years,' says Ingebrigtsen. 'I think we wanted to use the opportunity to inspire and help the average runner, hobby runner, sub elite, and also elite runner as the best way possible to inspire and bring our knowledge, our expertise.' For Ingebrigtsen, the project is a way to broaden his sphere of influence beyond individual accolades, part of a goal to 'improve the systems around the world and also in Norway.' Perhaps more than most, Ingebrigtsen has seen how challenging the life of a professional athlete can be, especially when the relationship with your coach – who also happens to be a parent – begins to break down. Up until 2022, he and his brothers were coached by their father, Gjert – the family patriarch who was renowned for maintaining a close grip on his children's training and lifestyle. A documentary series, 'Team Ingebrigtsen,' shed light on the father-son, athlete-coach dynamic, resulting in the Ingebrigtsens becoming the most famous family in track and field. Then in October 2023, Jakob, Henrik and Filip publicly accused their father of using physical violence and threats towards them. Those allegations were followed by a high-profile trial in Norwegian courts, at the end of which Gjert was convicted of assaulting his daughter, Ingrid, leading to a suspended prison sentence and a 10,000 Norwegian Krone (just over $1,000) fine. He was, however, acquitted of other charges, which included abusing Jakob, the family's most decorated and well-known athlete. Gjert's defense attorneys, John Christian Elden and Heidi Reisvang, said that the court verdict showed there was no evidence of the 59-year-old creating 'a continuous fear in his children.' Jakob spoke with CNN Sports while the trial was still ongoing. He did not want to comment on the outcome of the legal proceedings, according to his representative, Espen Skoland, but on the day the verdict was announced, he wrote a lengthy Instagram post about his own daughter, saying he 'will love and respect her unconditionally.' The rift with his father has resulted in Ingebrigtsen essentially being self-coached for the past three years of his career, though he does lean on his brothers, both experienced and decorated distance athletes in their own right, for guidance. Such an approach is unusual among top athletes, who would rely on a coach to arrange their training and racing schedules. 'We just want to remove the whole coach principle because that's not really an approach that we associate with,' says Ingebrigtsen. 'I think it's very important to understand what you're doing, and if you don't, then you only get this program from your coach (and) you're not really understanding what you're doing. 'Me, Henrik and Filip are coaching each other and discussing everything. We have a lot of knowledge and expertise between us, but still, we have different histories with different perspective, and also see things from a different point of view.' Despite his age, Ingebrigtsen has already established himself as one of the greatest middle-distance runners of all time, with multiple Olympic, world and European titles already to his name. He has, however, proven to be fallible, especially in such a competitive era for mile and 1,500-meter running. At last year's Paris Olympics, Ingebrigtsen experienced perhaps the most disappointing day of his career, leading a star-studded 1,500m field for most of the race before fading in the closing stages. He finished fourth, his title defense ending in tatters, but did bounce back to take 5,000m gold a few days later. That wasn't the first time that Ingebrigtsen has been outkicked and outmuscled at a major race. He was bested by Great Britain's Jake Wightman in the 1,500m at the 2022 World Athletics Champions, then again by another Brit, Josh Kerr, in the same race the following year. The rivalry between Ingebrigtsen and Kerr has spilled into a war of words in recent years, roughly dating back to when the former claimed to have been under the weather during the 2023 world championships. Kerr has since aimed jabs at his rival's ego, while Ingebrigtsen claimed last year that he could beat Kerr blindfolded in the 3,000 meters. The pair have not met on the track since last year's Olympics, with Kerr – along with Americans Cole Hocker and Yared Nuguse – signing up to race in Michael Johnson's Grand Slam Track league. Ingebrigtsen says that he has been watching some of those races from back home in Norway – Kerr won one of the three meets and finished second in another – but without reading too much into the results. 'Of course, I'm very focused on my own training and my own bubble at the moment, but I think the more competition, the better,' he says. 'I'm a big competitor and a big fan of competitions, I think that's what drives the sport forward. 'Ultimately, I think that the most important thing is that they (his rivals) have fun with doing what they're doing. At the same time, it's very difficult to kind of compare anything and pull and conclude anything out of the performances. If it's fun, then it's fun, and I think that's the most important thing for them.' It's hard to believe, given the fierce competitor inside him, that Ingebrigtsen wasn't watching those Grand Slam Track races with just a bit of envy. He says that he dialed back his training so as not to risk 'a serious and career-threatening injury' further down the line, but is still hopeful of making a return soon. At the world championships in Tokyo, he will be out to prove that his performance at the Olympics was nothing more than a minor blip. 'For me, I always try to improve,' says Ingebrigtsen. 'I always try to run a little bit faster, do things differently to see if we get a better result. Ultimately, you will at some point find the limits … That's just a part of developing.'
CBC
16-06-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Father of track star Jakob Ingebrigtsen cleared of abusing 2-time Olympic champion
Gjert Ingebrigtsen, the father of Norwegian track star Jakob Ingebrigtsen, was convicted Monday of one count of assault against his daughter and given a suspended prison sentence. A court in Sandnes, Norway acquitted Gjert of other charges including abusing Jakob, a multiple Olympic and world middle-distance champion. In a trial that started in March and has gripped Norway, Gjert, 59, was accused of an alleged years-long campaign of domestic abuse toward Jakob and younger sister, Ingrid. Gjert denied the charges against him. A verdict in the case was delivered in writing by Soer Rogaland District Court and Gjert was convicted of a single incident of minor assault against his daughter, his legal team confirmed to The Associated Press. He was handed a 15-day suspended sentence and ordered to pay NOK 10,000 ($1,010 US) in compensation. John Christian Elden and Heidi Reisvang, defence attorneys from Elden Law Firm, said it was the court's conclusion there "was no evidence to show that Gjert Ingebrigtsen created a continuous fear in his children." "There are no winners in this case," Reisvang, who was assisting counsel during the trial, told the AP. "He [Gjert] hopes that one day he will have contact and a relationship with his family again." Gjert became a prominent media figure in Norway in 2016 following his involvement in the TV documentary series Team Ingebrigtsen, in which he was seen coaching his three track-and-field sons, Jakob, Filip and Henrik. The series ran until 2021. By 2022 the trio had parted ways with their coach-father and the following year co-signed a column in the national newspaper, VG, accusing Gjert of physical violence and intimidation. The police opened an investigation, with court proceedings eventually brought relating to Gjert's treatment of Jakob and Ingrid. Gjert continued coaching after the split with his sons and now guides Jakob's 1500-metre Norwegian rival, Narve Gilje Nordas. The 24-year-old Jakob won Olympic gold in the 1,500 at the Tokyo Games in 2021 and the 5,000 at the Paris Games in 2024. He was world champion at the 5,000 in 2022 and '23. He listed his achievements on the track in a post on Instagram — published soon after the verdict in the trial was announced — in which he said the goal he most cares about is that his daughter, Filippa, "will love and respect me for her upbringing."
Telegraph
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Jakob Ingebrigtsen's father convicted of assault but avoids jail
The father of Jakob Ingebrigtsen has been convicted of assaulting his daughter but acquitted of abusing the double Olympic champion. After a seven-week trial, which included conflicting statements from multiple family members, a court in their hometown of Sandnes found that Gjert Ingebrigtsen did hit Ingrid with a wet towel but that there was reasonable doubt over accusations that he abused Jakob. Gjert, who had coached Jakob, as well as his brothers Henrik and Filip to major international success over 1500 metres and 5,000m, has been fined 10,000 krone (£744) and received a suspended 15-day jail sentence for the assault on Ingrid. The court was shown a photograph of Ingrid with a red mark on her face. Judges in the case did not find, as was alleged by Ingrid and the three brothers, that he had overseen a family environment that was characterised by fear and violence. Gjert Ingebrgtsen had denied the charges and his lawyer, John Christian Elden, said that he was 'relieved' by the court's verdict. 'This case has no winners, and today's verdict shows that all those affected have been exposed to an enormous burden that should have been avoided,' said Elden. Jakob's legal aid lawyer Mette Yvonne Larsen said that the 24-year-old Olympic, world and European champion was now 'concerned with moving on' after starting 'a new life in January 2022, when he broke with his father and broke with the regime he has experienced'. The verdict states: 'The court considers one side's version of family life and the relationship between the defendant and Jakob is not particularly more likely than the other.' They also highlighted how another brother, Martin, had spoken in defence of his father. 'The significant difference is that he describes it as a safe and good home without violence or threats, despite the fact that the defendant could be quarrelsome, loud and argumentative,' said the court. 'The court cannot disregard his explanation. His explanation is difficult to reconcile with the prosecution's claim that Jakob was subjected to violence… or abuse throughout much of his childhood.' Jakob had alleged that he was abused both physically and mentally from 2008 until 2018. The prosecutor had requested a prison sentence of more than two-and-a-half years. A total of Nkr400,000 (£29,800) in compensation was also suggested for the two siblings. Ingrid Ingebrigtsen, 19, has not lived at home since the towel incident in January 2022. The three brothers split from being coached by Gjert shortly after the incident before writing a newspaper article in 2023 which alleged that they had been subjected to physical violence. Gjert, who has always denied criminal behaviour, has continued to coach Jakob's Norway team-mates Narve Gilje Nordas and Per Svela. Jakob Ingebrigtsen won the 1500m at the Tokyo Olympics before following that up with 5,000m gold in Paris last year. He also won the 1500m and 3,000m double at both the European and World Indoor Championships earlier this year but the start of his outdoor track season has been delayed by an Achilles tendon injury.
Daily Mail
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Jakob Ingebrigtsen's father is CLEARED of abusing the Olympic champion runner - but receives 15-day suspended sentence for assaulting his daughter
A Norway court on Monday acquitted Gjert Ingebrigtsen of abusing his son, Olympic champion runner Jakob Ingebrigtsen, but convicted him and handed him a 15-day suspended sentence for assaulting his daughter on one occasion. Gjert Ingebrigtsen, 59, acted as trainer until 2022 to Jakob, 24, who won Olympic golds in the 5,000m in Paris in 2024 and the 1,500m in Tokyo in 2021. He was accused of physical and psychological violence against Jakob and his sister Ingrid, 19, between 2008 and 2022, but denied the charges. At the conclusion of the lengthy trial that lasted from March 24 to May 15 at the Sandnes court, he was acquitted of the abuse alleged by Jakob. The court however found him guilty of one violent incident involving his daughter Ingrid. In her testimony, Ingrid told the court her father hit her in the face with a wet towel in January 2022 - a picture taken that day showed her with a red cheek. He said he was aiming for her finger, which she was pointing at him during a row. In addition to a 15-day suspended prison sentence, Ingebrigtsen Sr was ordered to pay Ingrid 10,000 kroner ($1,000) in damages. Prosecutors had called for him to be jailed for two and a half years, 'They didn't say they were disappointed. They said they were surprised,' Mette Yvonne Larsen, Jakob's and Ingrid's lawyer, told reporters when describing her clients' reactions to the verdict. Meanwhile, the accused's lawyers noted that 'what was decisive for the court's conclusion was the lack of evidence proving that Gjert Ingebrigtsen had instilled constant fear in his children.' 'The court specifically highlighted that several close family members as well as external witnesses had neither observed nor witnessed mistreatment,' they said in a statement. The parties have 14 days to appeal the verdict. Throughout the trial, Jakob referred to his father as 'the accused' and told the court he stopped calling him 'dad' at the age of 11 or 12. 'My upbringing was very much characterised by fear,' he told the court. 'I felt like I had no free choice and I wasn't allowed to speak my mind. Everything was controlled and decided for me. An enormous amount of manipulation,' he said. He recounted several episodes of physical violence, including slaps and kicks to the stomach, some of which occurred when he was seven years old. Ingebrigtsen Sr has called the trial a 'textbook case of character assassination'. He told the court he had been an 'overly protective' father who had given his seven children a 'traditional and patriarchal' upbringing. He was keen to contribute to their success but received only ingratitude in return, he said. Jakob and two of his brothers, Henrik and Filip, who are also athletes, shocked Norway in October 2023 when they used a newspaper article to accuse their father of using physical violence during their upbringing. The police investigated claims about all seven Ingebrigtsen siblings but retained only those relating to Jakob and Ingrid. Jakob - who claimed the 1,500m and 3,000m world indoor titles right before the opening of the trial in March - along with Henrik and Filip cut ties with their father in 2022. On the final day of the trial, Jakob told the court the proceedings had 'profound and heartbreaking consequences' for the siblings regardless of the verdict. 'We have known that from the beginning, but it was nonetheless important to tell our story,' he said.
