My youth passed in fear of dad

Double Olympic Champion Jacob Ingebrigtsena Norwegian runner on middle and long lines, attended the trial of his father today. He is accused of abusing the athletic star and his sister. In the testimony, he confirmed that his childhood and youth marked fear because of a manipulative father who wanted to have everything under control.

The 22 -year -old athlete returned to Norway on Monday from the World Halling Championships in Nanjing, China, where he won two gold medals. « My upbringing was strongly marked by fear, » Ingebrigtsen said in a court in Sandnes. “Everything was controlled and decided for me. A huge amount of manipulation, ”he described his father and former coach. Ingebrigtsen specifically explained how as a schoolboy he could not socialize with peers and go to parties with other children and how he was forced to train twice or thrice a day as a teenager.

Ninety -year -old Gjert ingebrigtsen is accused of physical and psychological violence over two of his seven children, Jacob and his 18-year-old sister Ingridin the 14 years, from 2008 to 2022. He is threatened with up to six years in prison if he is found guilty, which Gjert Ingebrigtsen denies.

In court, Jacob Ingebrigtsen claimed that he could not state a single good memory from his childhood with his family, and recounts several episodes of physical violence, including slap and kicks in the abdomen. These events are stated in the indictment, some happened when it was under eight years.

“When I was younger, between five and eleven, I would describe it as nervous, neurotic and self -indigenous. A man who wanted to have everything under control, « he replied when asked to describe his father. « He had a lot of fear and uncertainty that grew into anger and aggression to the surrounding area, » he continued.

Ingebrigtsen is one of the biggest sports celebrities in Norway. Photo: Dylan Martinez/Reuters

On Monday, the first day of the long trial, which will last until May 16, the defense played excerpts from the successful Team Ingebrigtsen series, produced by the NRK public television. Sister Ingrid will testify on Wednesday. According to the indictment, her father was supposed to insult her, threatened her and hit her on her face. She lived in foster care for many years because of a bad relationship with her father.

Jacob Ingebrigtsen and his brothers, Handic and Philipwho are also athletes, was shocked by Norway in October 2023 when they accused their father of using physical violence and threats as part of education. The allegations of the brothers came to the headlines in Norway and abroad, causing the Norwegian police to launch an investigation that captured all seven brothers and sisters Ingebrigtsen.

Police abandoned some of the allegations for lack of evidence or statute of limitations, and the prosecution retained several allegations that included Jacob and his sister Ingrid.

He won two gold medals in Paris last year. Photo: Sarah Meyssonnier/ Reuters

Jacob Ingebrigtsen is the most successful of the three brothers, winning gold in the 5000m World Championships in 2022 and 2023, winning the historic twin last weekend, the title of 1500 and 3000 MV Nanjing. In 2021, at the Tokyo Olympics, he put Olympic gold in 1500 m in his pocket, winning the gold at 5000 m at last summer games in Paris.

In 2022, Jacob, Henrik and Filip interrupted the ties with their father, who was not invited to Jacob’s wedding in September 2023.