Jakob Ingebrigtsen: Norwegian star says loss in 1500m 'will haunt me for the rest of my life' despite 5000m win
Published 11/08/2024 at 16:16 GMT+1
Jakob Ingebrigtsen has described how his fourth-place finish in the 1500m final "will haunt me for the rest of my life", but the Norwegian says he wouldn’t change the tactics that saw him passed by Cole Hocker, Josh Kerr and Yared Nuguse on the finishing straight. “I’m a believer of winning in a way that’s honourable,” said Ingebrigtsen, who would later bounce back to win gold in the 5000m.
Lost finals 'will haunt me for the rest of my life,' says Ingebrigtsen
Video credit: SNTV
Jakob Ingebrigtsen has revealed that he did not put the disappointment of the 1500m behind him to bounce back and win the 5000m, and that the loss in his favoured distance "will haunt me for the rest of my life".
Speaking to media the morning after he clinched 5000m gold on the final evening of the athletics at the Stade de France, the Norwegian was in a frank and open mood when reflecting on his performance at Paris 2024.
When asked how he put the disappointment of the 1500m behind him going into the 5000m, the 23-year-old dismissed the question, explaining that it is not something you get over.
"One of the biggest confusions is that it's something that you put behind you,” he said.
“I still remember many of my losses in my junior career or even when I was very young. And also, my world championships in Doha [when he finished fourth].
“That's things that will haunt me for the rest of my life.
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Watch thrilling 1500m final as Hocker defeats GB's Kerr and Ingebrigtsen
Video credit: TNT Sports
“And I think that's one of the reasons why it's important for us, as athletes, to perform; it's because we always have that memory of losing and not accomplishing what we want.
“I think it's also something that motivates us to put in the work and to do what's needed to perform. So it's a different thing to handle it, but it's always going to be something that's there.
“And as I mentioned, it's a big part of sports. I think many of the greatest athletes have defeats that will haunt them for the rest of their lives.
“But, hopefully, the reward of accomplishing things and creating memories outweighs them."
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The Norwegian, who won gold in the 1500m at Tokyo 2020, was also asked whether he would consider changing his tactics for the distance in the future.
Ingebrigtsen took the lead after the first 100m and set the early pace, running the first 400m in a speedy 54.82.
He kicked on with 700m to go, opening a gap on the chasing pack, but was eventually caught by Josh Kerr and Cole Hocker in the home straight and had nothing in the tank to respond.
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Watch as Ingebrigtsen finds redemption with 5000m gold after 1500m woe
Video credit: TNT Sports
To add insult to injury, he was also passed by Yared Nuguse metres from the line to miss out on bronze.
"I'm a believer of winning in a way that's honourable,” he said of his tactics.
“Reaching the finish line first is always the main goal. But still, I'm a big fan of, you know, proving myself, not to anybody necessarily but also to myself that I'm rewarded for the work that I'm putting in and sometimes, that's doing something a certain way."
While his tactics didn’t pay off in the 1500m, they certainly worked in the 5000m, Ingebrigtsen pulling away from the pack on the final lap to win his first Olympic gold in the discipline with ease.
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