"Most likely not able to perform"- Jakob Ingebrigtsen makes feelings clear when questioned about Josh Kerr and other rivals after major win

Olympic champion long-distance runner Jakob Ingebrigtsen proved his mettle for the upcoming season of 2025 by winning his third individual title at the European Cross Country Championships in the past four years. Ingebrigtsen also took a dig at his chief competitor, British runner Josh Kerr, and other rivals.

In an interview held after the Championships, Ingebrigtsen was asked about the absences of some prominent names. The 24-year-old answered to this and said,

"I think it's, if you're not feeling like you know you can perform, you won't do it. So the people that's not there, most likely not able to perform in the different races. I think we're all finding things where we can perform, and hopefully be able to fight for medals"

Ingebrigtsen and Kerr have been rivals both on and off the field. Though the Norwegian runner admires Kerr's ability to 'deliver under pressure.'

Meanwhile, the Sandnes-born athlete also talked about how he felt after winning the European Cross Country Championships for the third time. In an interview with Olympics.com, the Norwegian runner commented,

"Cross country is something that I really enjoy. It's very different from my other competitions, there's something special and exciting about around 100 people being at the starting line, going for the first turn."

Though Jakob Ingebrigtsen could not defend his 1500m title at the Paris Olympics, he didn't return empty-handed. He won the Olympic gold in the 5000m, becoming the first Nordic athlete since Lasse Viren of Finland to win the Olympic gold medal in this event.

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Jakob Ingebrigtsen's performances in the 2024 Olympic season

Jakob Ingebrigtsen at the European Cross Country Championships 2024 [Image Source : Getty]

After his exploits at the Tokyo Olympics, Jakob Ingebrigtsen was expected to repeat his performances in the 2024 season, especially at the Paris Olympics. Ingebrigtsen didn't disappoint as he won his races scheduled at the Wanda Diamond League 2024.

By the time the quadrennial event at Paris came close, Ingebrigsten had bettered his European record, breaking the 3:27 minute barrier at the Monaco Diamond League. However, the unexpected happened at the Paris Olympics.

Despite being in the lead for most of the race, Ingebrigtsen fizzled out in the last lap, allowing Cole Hocker and Yared Nuguse of the USA and Josh Kerr of Great Britain to take over. Ingebrigtsen finished fourth with an overall timing of 3:28.24. However, he overcame the disappointment to surprise everyone in the 5000m finals, as he won the Olympic gold medal with a timing of 13:13.66.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen went on to prove his mettle at the Wanda Diamond League finals held in Brussels, where he won the coveted Diamond League trophy for the fourth consecutive time since 2022. He overcame the Olympic champion Hocker to win the 1500m gold medal. With the European Cross Country Championships, Ingebrigtsen has ended the 2024 season on a significant high.