Gjert Ingebrigtsen Takes Medical Leave and Steps Down as Coach of Team Ingebrigtsen

By Robert Johnson
February 2, 2021

Today it was revealed by Norway’s Stavanger Aftenblad that Gjert Ingebrigtsen has taken a medical leave and stepped down as coach of Team Ingebrigtsen. Gjert has famously coached three of his sons to European 1500m titles as well as sub-3:32 1500-meter clockings as Henrik (3:31.46 pb, 2012 European gold), Filip (3:30.01 p, 2016 European gold), and Jakob (3:28.32 pb, 2018 European gold) have all risen to the top of Europe — and in Jakob’s case, the world. Jakob, of course, is the reigning Olympic 1500 champion, Filip won World Championship bronze in 2017 and Henrik was 5th in the 2012 Olympics.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen and his father/coach, Gjert, pose after Jakob won Olympic gold in 2021

In the Aftenblad story, Henrik, who had hamstring surgery over the summer and missed the Tokyo Olympics, asked that the public understand that the brothers would not be discussing the details of their father’s medical condition. He and his brothers have recently returned from a successful multi-week altitude camp in Spain.

The paper also reported that the brothers’ younger sister, 15-year-old Ingrid Ingebrigtsen, who ran 4:42.04 for 1500 in June, has quit athletics altogether as of November.

For now, Henrik said, the brothers will coach themselves. Jakob and Filip will both race the 1500 at World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meet in Lievin, France, on February 17 where there is speculation Jakob will target the world record of 3:31.04.

Talk about the coaching change with Team Ingebrigtsen, which has also been confirmed by Norwegian athletics, on our messageboard.

MB: Gjert Ingebrigtsen is stepping down and Ingrid Ingebrigtsen quits