The father of Olympic medalist and world record holder Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Gjert Ingebrigtsen, was found guilty of assaulting his daughter, Ingrid, after a months-long trial. The 59-year-old father of seven was acquitted on other abuse charges toward his son, Jakob, according to media reports.
The trial, which started in March of this year, came after Ingrid accused her father of whipping her in the face with a wet towel. According to The Athletic, “Ingrid said Gjert texted her the following day, ‘but he only apologized for raising his voice—not for what actually happened.’”
Ingrid, 19, left her family’s home when she was 15 after a “series of incidents,” according to The Guardian. Ingrid had also reported her father wouldn’t let her stop running on a treadmill when she struggled to breathe.
The family, world renowned for its athletic prowess, has also been the subject of a successful Norwegian docuseries, which Amazon picked up last year. Gjert was part of the original show but stepped down from coaching last year due to “medical reasons.” In October 2024, Jakob and his brothers, Filip and Henrik, made allegations of abuse and violence.
Ultimately, the court ruled that there was reasonable doubt about the abuse charges against Jakob. Gjert has denied all allegations. He was given a suspended 15-day prison sentence and will also pay $1,011 to Ingrid in compensation.
“You describe violence, you’re believed, and yet he isn’t convicted,” Jakob’s lawyer, Mette Yvonne Larsen, said. “But Jakob is focused on moving forward. The wounds are there, and it will take time to heal.”
In February, Jakob, who became a father last year, broke Yared Nuguse's five-day-old world record in the indoor mile (3:45.14). He also set the indoor 1,500-meter record during the same race (3:29.63).
Ingebrigtsen owns Olympic gold medals in the 1500 meters (Tokyo 2020) and 5,000 meters (Paris 2024), and is a two-time world outdoor champion in the later event.
Heather is the former food and nutrition editor for Runner’s World, the author of The Runner’s World Vegetarian Cookbook, and a nine-time marathoner with a best of 3:23. She’s also proud of her 19:40 5K and 5:33 mile. Heather is an RRCA certified run coach.
