Gjert Ingebrigtsen plans to continue coaching Narve Gilje Nordås, 25, who won World Championship bronze at 1,500 meters in the summer.
Norwegian successful runners Jakob, Philip and Henrik Ingebrigtsen blamed on Thursday in VG magazine from years of violence and intimidation by their father, who had previously coached them.
Father Gjert Ingebritsen coached his boys until the beginning of 2022, when the distance between the runners and the coach was cut. According to Gjerti, the quarrels had already started earlier.
Jakob, 23, is an Olympic champion in the 1,500 meters. World Championship and European Championship gold has come from both 1,500 and 5,000 meters.
Filip, 30, and Henrik, 32, are both 1500 meter EC winners. After the trio split up, Gjert’s father, Henrik, has worked as his brothers’ coach in addition to his own running career.
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Gjert Ingebritsen has denied the brothers’ claims. On Friday, one of the sons of a family of seven children, Martinstood up to defend his father.
– Fear is a foreign feeling to me. I have never been afraid of my father, Martin wrote in his letter to VG.
Previously, Gjert Ingebrigtsen commented on the case through his lawyer, but on Saturday gave statements to the media at a running event where he was coaching his protégé Narve Gilje Nordåsiawho won the competition.
The police will find out whether there are grounds to start a preliminary investigation based on the brothers’ claims. According to the coach, the explanation is welcome.
– They can explore as much as they want. They find nothing. I think the investigation is a great thing that should have been done a long time ago, considering all the rumours, Ingebrigtsen said to VG.
Isä-Ingebrigtsen said that being in the middle of the commotion has been difficult.
– Focusing on sports has been a small spiritual hole, because then you can’t focus on anything else, he told TV2.
The coaching relationship continues
Gjert Ingebrigtsen plans to continue coaching Narve Gilje Nordås, 25, who won World Championship bronze at 1,500 meters in the summer.
– These boys invest in sports and have done so for a long time. I have coached Narve since he was 15 years old. I keep my promises, and when I’ve promised Narve something, I keep it.
Nordås also said that he intends to continue under Ingebrigtsen. He admitted to NRK that the uproar is embarrassing for him.
– Even today while running I was thinking about it. On the other hand, I have experienced the commotion since the beginning, that the body has worked well in training. Exercise is relaxing, Nordås said to NRK.
Ingebrigtsen’s successful brothers want nothing to do with their father, but represent the same national team as Nordås. The Norwegian Sports Confederation has denied Ingebrigtsen accreditation for the World Indoor Championships in March and the European Championships in June. He didn’t make it to last summer’s World Championships either.
– I have never demanded to be near my children. We try to find solutions suitable for the situations, Ingebrigtsen said.