– His ego is too big – NRK Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule

-If he doesn’t realize that he has some major weaknesses, he won’t win the gold medal in the 1,500 meters next year.

This is what Josh Kerr says about Jakob Ingebrigtsen in a podcast episode the Sunday podcast.

The Briton outperformed Ingebrigtsen during the World Championships final in Budapest this summer, among other things as a result of better running technique, according to Kerr.

In the podcast, Kerr talks about someone who made Ingebrigtsen angry after the final. A final where Ingebrigtsen, in the absence of the hares, did most of the pulling work and actually took the lead after 500 metres.

Earlier in the season, after setting the European record in the 1,500 meters in Chorzów, Ingebrigtsen referred to herself as the third fastest, something Kerr noticed.

– I thought: “Oh, you have no idea. I’ve won so many races and ran fantastically all season. You have to be surrounded by so many people who agree with that, that you don’t realize you have weaknesses. I think that was part of it,” says the Briton. From his fall.

NRK has been in contact with the Ingebrigtsen brothers’ advisor, Espen Skolland. It is reported that Jakob Ingebrigtsen does not wish to comment on Kerr’s behaviour.

Losing a goldfish in the bathroom at 1500 metres

Ingebrigtsen has an Olympic gold medal in the 1,500 metres, and four European Championship golds (two indoor and two outdoor) over the same distance, but in the context of the World Championships he has a total of three silvers – two outdoors and one indoor – in the 1,500. meter.

Although Ingebrigtsen has proven to be the sprinter with the best times over the distance in the past two seasons.

Now, world champion Kerr believes people will start to realize that it is easier to beat Ingebrigtsen in races where there are no runners.

-But I don’t think he will, because his ego is too big. (Timothy) Cheruiyot was a trailblazer at the 2021 Olympics, so if you look at it, he doesn’t win many races without being a trailblazer,” Kerr says.

– Searching for attention

In a previous interview with The Telegraph, Kerr said he had piles of notes scattered around his hotel room in Budapest, where he analyzed his opponents and how they jumped.

There he also said that Ingebrigtsen’s celebration in the final round of the semi-final made him suspect that the Norwegian was relaxed about something and therefore tried to raise his confidence.

Ingebrigtsen won the semi-final against the aforementioned Kerr, after it had long looked like Ingebrigtsen was cornered and in danger of collapsing. But with 250 meters to go, the opportunity opened up for the Norwegian, who finished the race very strongly.

Kerr explains on the podcast:

– You played a great semi-final match, while he played a terrible semi-final match. I just think he’s very attention seeking. He had to do something to get attention again. Kerr says he claims he was sick before the semi-final, but at the time I knew he was just looking for attention.

He also reacts to the fact that the Norwegian did the same in his 5,000m attempt at the WC in 2022 – after being beaten by Jake Wightman in the 1,500m – and believes it shows Ingebrigtsen is doing it to get talked about. on.

New championship opportunities in 2024

After the 1,500m final, Ingebrigtsen said he had a dry throat on the day of the semi-final, and that it all “escalated” towards the final.

Later in the tournament he won a beautiful gold medal in the 5000 meters later in the tournament. Even then Ingebrigtsen felt unwell.

Subsequently, several media reports were linked to Ingebrigtsen referring to Kerr as “the next man up” after the 1500m final. “It’s disrespectful,” Kerr said. The eldest brother, Henrik Ingebrigtsen, who is somewhat poor, responded to this.

On the podcast, Kerr reiterated that he feels Jakob Ingebrigtsen does not show him the same respect he does abroad, and that he believes Ingebrigtsen has not mastered “losing gracefully” in the same way that others do.

Next year, there could be several new clashes between Ingebrigtsen and Kerr, with both the European Commission in Rome at the beginning of June and the Olympics in Paris in August.