Jakob Ingebrigtsen lashes out at rivals after Diamond League final defeat

Jakob Ingebrigtsen finished fourth in the Diamond League 1,500-metre final and then launched an angry attack on his rivals in an interview with Norway’s NRK.

“I lost, I wasn’t good enough. I try honestly and run to win, but I’m not strong enough,” the 25-year-old began. He had led the field for much of the race before losing the advantage in the final sprint, about 50 metres from the finish.

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I lost, I wasn’t good enough. I try honestly and run to win, but I’m not strong enough

He then turned on the runners around him. “Damn, what losers I had to run against. They all just waited and were afraid. I’m excited to get a new chance in a few months. Then I’ll wipe away all their illusions,” he said.

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Damn, what losers I had to run against. They all just waited and were afraid. I’m excited to get a new chance in a few months. Then I’ll wipe away all their illusions

Australia’s Cameron Myers won the race, with Kenya’s Phanuel Koech taking silver and the United States’ Ethan Strand completing the top three. Ingebrigtsen wrote on Instagram the next day that the microphone had been put in front of him while he was experiencing perhaps too much adrenaline and emotion. He did not directly apologise.

“My love for this sport can never be questioned,” he wrote. “I always say things as I see them.” Ingebrigtsen has won European, world and Olympic titles over 5,000 metres, including Olympic gold in Paris in 2024, and has seven European titles across different distances.

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My love for this sport can never be questioned