Gjert Ingebrigtsen, father and former coach of Olympic champion Jakob, to stand trial over physical and mental abuse charges

By George Ramsay, CNN

(CNN) — The father of decorated Norwegian distance runner Jakob Ingebrigtsen will stand trial next year after being charged with physical and mental abuse of his son, Norwegian public prosecutors told CNN Sport.

Gjert Ingebrigtsen coached three of his seven children – Henrik, Filip and two-time Olympic gold medalist Jakob – until February 2022, with the brothers first alleging in October last year that their father had used physical violence and threats towards them.

“I can confirm that Gjert Ingebrigtsen on November 29th was indicted by our office for physical and mental abuse of his son Jakob Ingebrigtsen,” public prosecutor Birgitte Budal Løvlund told CNN.

“The case has been forwarded to the district court of Sør-Rogaland for planning. The prosecution has requested that at least 30 days be set aside for the legal proceedings that are expected to take place during 2025, preferably the first half of the year. This, however, is up to the court to decide.”

Løvlund also said that Ingebrigtsen was indicted for the physical and mental abuse of another member of his family, a charge which will be part of the same trial.

The 58-year-old Ingebrigtsen has denied any allegations of violence.

“Gjert Ingebrigtsen maintains what he has said all along, he does not admit any criminal guilt for the conditions he is indicted of and that he has never exposed any of his children to either physical or mental abuse,” lawyers John Christian Elden and Heidi Reisvang of Elden Advokatfirma said in a statement.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen is one of the world’s most successful track athletes and a huge star in Norway. He won gold in the 5,000 meters at the Paris Olympics earlier this year – adding to the 1,500-meter gold he claimed in Tokyo three years before – and also has two world and six European championship titles.

Henrik, 33, and Filip, 31, are both former European champions who have represented Norway at multiple Olympics.

“Jakob, Filip and Henrik ask that the press and the public respect the fact that this is a private family situation, and do not want to give any comments on the legal process to the press,” the brothers’ spokesperson, Espen Skoland, told CNN.

“Their wish is to be able to continue to compete and perform in the sport they all love so much and continue to share great moments with athletics fans around the world. They are grateful for all the support they have received from fans and friends.”

The family gained wider fame in Norway through “Team Ingebrigtsen,” a documentary series that shed light on the family dynamic, particularly the father-coach relationship between Gjert and his sons.

In October this year, Gjert’s lawyers petitioned the court to obtain footage from the documentary as part of the case, arguing that it “contradicts what the victim and other witnesses” have alleged against their client. On Monday, the court ruled in favor of this motion.

In a story for Norwegian newspaper VG published last year, Jakob, Henrik and Filip spoke about feeling “discomfort and fear” around their father since they were children.

“Somehow, we have accepted this,” they wrote. “We have lived with it, and in adult age we have moved on. At least we thought so. In retrospect, we realize that it was naive.”

Shortly before ending the coaching relationship with their father, they said that “the same aggression and physical punishment struck again,” which proved “the final straw.”

Despite the allegations, Gjert has continued to coach Norwegian athletes Per Svela and Narve Gilje Nordås, who finished seventh in the 1,500m final at the Paris Olympics, three places behind Jakob Ingebrigtsen.

The-CNN-Wire
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