Portuguese runners sought talks with Ingebrigtsen brothers, got no reply

Portuguese middle-distance runners José Carlos Pinto and Patricia Silva sought to connect with Norwegian stars Jakob and Henrik Ingebrigtsen for a chat before the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham. Pinto revealed that despite sending text messages, he never received a reply from either brother.

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I sent this message to both of you. Can we meet for a coffee, today or tomorrow? Pinto and Patricia.

Pinto recounted previous attempts to reach Henrik Ingebrigtsen during training stays in Norway, also without success. "I never got a response or anything," he told Nettavisen. He made another attempt just before the championships with Silva, sending a message to Jakob and Henrik asking if they could meet for coffee.

"I sent a text message to Jakob and Henrik to ask if we could sit and have a chat together, but it never happened. So if they never wanted to talk to me, that's fine. I completely understand it. But yes, I tried to make some kind of contact. They were not open to it. I fully respect their decision," Pinto said.

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I never got a response, Pinto told Nettavisen.

However, Espen Skoland, the press contact for the Ingebrigtsen brothers, offered a different perspective. He stated that the message was sent without context during the athletes' pre-championship preparation. Skoland added, "There is no interest in associating with competitors who contribute to legitimizing and creating noise around a coach who has repeatedly told sports leaders that he will sabotage other athletes, something VG has documented."

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I sent a text message to Jakob and Henrik to ask if we could sit and have a chat together, but it never happened. So if they never wanted to talk to me, that's fine. I completely understand it. But yes, I tried to make some kind of contact. They were not open to it. I fully respect their decision.

Pinto also suggested that the absence of coach Gjert Ingebrigtsen, who was denied accreditation, may have impacted his performance. "I can barely run my own races. I didn't do well, so maybe I'm not the best person to be with before a race. Maybe I needed his help too, and maybe that's why my championship was so bad," Pinto said. Silva, meanwhile, secured a bronze medal in the 1500 meters.

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The message was sent, without context, in the middle of the preparation for the European Championships. There is no interest in associating with competitors who contribute to legitimizing and creating noise around a coach who has repeatedly told sports leaders that he will sabotage other athletes, something VG has documented.