It had long been speculated why Jakob Ingebrigtsen and his brothers suddenly broke with their father and then coach Gjert Ingebrigtsen in February 2022.
Barely two years later, in a chronicle in Norwegian Verdens Gang, the three brothers Jakob, Henrik, and Filip Ingebrigtsen gave their explanation.
"We grew up with a father who was very aggressive and controlling and who used physical violence and threats as part of his upbringing. We still feel discomfort and fear that remains from childhood", the trio wrote.
"Lacking foundation"
Gjert Ingebrigtsen denied the allegations in the same article.
"The allegations they come with lack foundation. I have never used violence against my children. That I have had shortcomings as a father, and to a large extent been a coach, is something I also acknowledge to myself, albeit too late", he replied.
After the chronicle, several investigations into abuse and the brothers told of a father who took strangleholds and pressed their heads to the floor. Many of the cases were dropped due to lack of evidence or because the cases had expired. But not all. Now the trial begins where Gjert Ingebrigtsen is accused of having abused two of his children: Jakob Ingebrigtsen and his little sister.
"Very young"
According to Jakob Ingebrigtsen's lawyer Mette Yvonne Larsen, the father abused his son for over ten years.
The abuse goes back to when he was very young, Larsen said in November last year.
The trial is expected to last for around two months and among the 34 witnesses to be heard are the two plaintiffs, their siblings, and mother. Others to be heard are runners who had Gjert Ingebrigtsen as a coach. Video clips and audio files will be played, and the evidence includes journals and SMS, writes NTB.
The trial will be closely followed by both Norwegian and foreign media. Gjert Ingebrigtsen, who still denies all allegations, has applied for the trial to be held behind closed doors – without success.
"This is something that in itself does not have any public interest, but where the public has become curious because it involves well-known people. It smells of a media circus", his defender previously wrote in an SMS to NTB.
Gjert Ingebrigtsen can, if convicted, be sentenced to up to six years in prison.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen, 24 years old, is a Norwegian middle-distance runner. So are his brothers Henrik and Filip. Jakob Ingebrigtsen took double World Championship gold (1,500 and 3,000 meters) at the indoor World Championship in China last weekend. He has previously taken both Olympic and World Championship gold outdoors on distances 1,500 and 5,000 meters. He also holds several world records.
Two of his brothers, Henrik and Filip Ingebrigtsen, have both won European Championship gold.
In the sibling group, there are three more brothers, and a sister who has also competed in running and is a plaintiff in the trial.
The children's father Gjert Ingebrigtsen continued to be a track and field coach after the allegations and has coached the brothers' competitor, Norwegian runner Narve Gilje Nordås.
The Ingebrigtsen family is not only known for their running – NRK has also made a reality series about the family called "Team Ingebrigtsen". It has been taken down after the allegations against the father.
