Jakob Ingebrigtsen testify about fear and abuse against his father

Two-time Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen described a childhood marked by fear and abuse as he took the stand to testify against his father and former coach Gjert Ingebrigtsen.

The father has pleaded not guilty to charges of physically abusing two of his children, including the athlete. Gjert Ingebrigtsen, 59, faces up to six years in prison, with the trial set to continue until May 16 in Sandnes, Norway.

“My upbringing was very much about fear. I was very much aware of the culture of fear. As a teenager, it was a concept I really identified with because I felt like I had no free will and no say”, said Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who won gold in the 5,000m at the Paris 2024 Olympics and the 1,500m at Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“I was in an environment where everything was controlled and decided for me. There was a huge amount of manipulation”, he told the court.

During the first day of the trial on Monday, Gjert Ingebrigtsen told the court that he was not guilty of the charges against him. He is due to give evidence next week.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen, 24, told the court about several incidents of violence.

Prosecutors say Gjert Ingebrigtsen hit Jakob several times after he received a reprimand for his behavior at school when he was eight years old.

“I remember being extremely scared. I had made a mistake and I was terrified of what was going to happen”, Jakob Ingebrigtsen told the court about the beginning of the incident.

The track and field athlete also told the court that when he met Elisabeth Ingebrigtsen, who is now his wife, at the age of 16, his father tried to end the relationship, fearing that any relationship would harm his son’s sporting career.

“It was extremely difficult for me that someone like my own father could speak in that way about someone like Elizabeth, who I cared about”, said Jakob Ingebrigtsen to the court.