“Leaving Paris empty-handed was never an option.” Jakob Ingebrigtsen penned in his Instagram post, after his recent 5000-meter Olympic victory.
The athlete showed remarkable resilience after his disappointing 1500-meter race, where he finished fourth despite leading until the final stretch. Undeterred by this setback, he focused on his comeback, which culminated in his gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
The Norwegian also dedicated his win to those who played an important role in his Olympic journey, stating:
“To all you runners out there: This one is for you. To my wife, my team, my partners, and the Norwegian Olympics team: This could never have happened without you.”
Aside from his individual 5000-meter Olympic gold medal, Ingebrigtsen praised his fellow nation’s Olympians for their contributions to Norway’s medal tally.
“Tonight, we celebrate! What a day for Norway in the Olympics! Congratulations to Solfrid Koanda, Grace Bullen, Karsten Warholm (yesterday), Mol & Sørum, and the Norwegian handball team for making this a historic day for Norway!”
In the same Instagram post, Ingebrigtsen mentioned his future objectives. He stated that his primary focus is now on the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Mirroring his strategy from the Paris Olympics, Ingebrigtsen plans to compete in both the 1500 and 5000 meters events, with the goal of securing gold medals in each.
The Instagram post was accompanied by three images, where the first two photographs captured Ingebrigtsen proudly displaying his gold medal from the 5000-meter event.
The final image showcased the Olympic podium at the Stade de France, featuring Ingebrigtsen alongside silver medalist Rodgers Kwemoi and bronze medalist Grant Fisher.
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For Ingebrigtsen, the Paris Olympics was an event full of mixed emotions. He arrived at the Stade de France fresh off a dominant victory in the Monaco Diamond League, where he shattered the European 1500-meter record.
The Norwegian athlete was also a fan favorite in the Paris Olympics 1500m final event, but in the last stretch of the race, he faded from the lead and finished fourth.
However, Ingebrigtsen is known for his persistence; he fought back strong in the 5000-meter race, winning his second Olympic gold medal with a time of 13:13.66.
