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The father of Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen is to stand trial following allegations that he physically abused his children when he was their coach, according to reports in Norway.
Gjert Ingebrigtsen strenuously denies the allegations, which surfaced last year when Norwegian superstar Ingebrigtsen, along with older brothers and former European champions Filip and Henrik, went public with the claims.
Gjert, 58, was charged with the physical abuse of one of his younger children earlier this year following an investigation from the public prosecutor’s office. The younger sibling was not one of the three running brothers.
According to Norwegian publication VG, the outlet which carried the interview with the three Ingebrigtsen brothers last year that prompted the police investigation, Gjert will stand trial in 2025 and the case could last up to eight weeks.
VG reported that Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who won the 5,000m at this summer’s Olympic Games, has given evidence to the police as part of the investigation. The report said the allegations from the older Ingebrigtsen brothers have been dropped.
Gjert coached Jakob to the 1,500m gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. The family were also stars of reality TV show Team Ingebrigtsen, which was one of the most popular TV shows in Norway and followed their success on the international stage.
Ingebrigtsen split from his father before the allegations surfaced and the 24-year-old largely coached himself to Olympic gold in Paris this summer over the 5,000m distance, while he lost out on the 1,500m title to American Cole Hocker and British rival Josh Kerr.
Gjert, who has seven children in total, has previously insisted that he had “never used violence against his children” and his lawyers said he denies the charges.
Mette Yvonne Larsen, the state assistant attorney, told VG: “It is a very serious indictment that extends over a period of many years.”
