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Jakob Ingebrigtsen registered his first win of the Olympic season at the Oslo Diamond League in the 1500m. In the final moments of the race, being challenged by Kenyan Timothy Cheruiyot, Ingebrigtsen decide to dive over the finishing line, letting go of some of his heavy lactate build-up and gaining just the slightest edge - leading to one of the most dramatic finishes of this season.
The reigning Olympic champion skipped the entire indoor season and the early outdoor season of the Olympic year to recover from an Achilles tendon injury. Not wanting to take any risks, the Norwegian opted for a full recovery before making a season debut.
Ingebrigtsen made his Olympic season debut at the Prefontaine Classic in the famous 'Bowerman Mile' against staunch competitor Josh Kerr, who held on to the momentum of his peak form. Kerr bettered Ingebrigtsen at the Classic but the Olympic Champion remained determined and optimistic about his upcoming competitions.
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A week later, he appeared at the Oslo Diamond League and has established his dominance in the 1500m, winning by clocking a world-leading 3:29.74.
The race featured one of the most dramatic finishes of this Olympic season. Jakob Ingebrigtsen led and controlled the major phases of the race but Timothy Cheruiyot challenged him in the last 40m of the race, both athletes almost at par. The two were visibly stiff in the final moments of the race due to significant lactate accumulation.
Just a second before reaching the finishing line, Ingebrigtsen made a dive and crossed the tape milliseconds before the Kenyan.
Ingebrigtsen's dive seemed to have created a visible difference between him and Cheruiyot at the finishing line, making it perhaps the most thrilling finish of the Olympic year yet, not to mention the Norwegian's record-setting time.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen opens up on Paris Olympics goals
Jakob Ingebrigtsen will be heading into the Paris Olympics as the defending Champion. With a huge challenge coming from his rival Josh Kerr at the quadrennial Games, it would surely prove to be a tough fight.
Ingebrigtsen opened up about his Paris Olympics goals in a pre-race press conference at the Oslo Diamond League.
"I'm mostly focused on the 1500m. I see it as one shot but then again it's nice to have two competitions. If I'm in very good shape and strong then it gives me a good possibility to do well in the 5000m," he said.
With less than a month to go before the Olympic trials, track and field performances are already reaching new heights with several world leads and personal bests being created by athletes in the early outdoor season. Such performances and rivalries are sure to increase the excitement among fans that is already going through the roof in anticipation of a remarkable showdown at Paris '24.
