It might be a while before we see Jakob Ingebrigtsen step foot on the track in a competitive environment again.
The Achilles problem that plagued his summer campaign is no longer affecting him but caution is Ingebrigtsen’s watchword on the road to another prospective 1500/5000m double at the Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships from 10-16 August.
Ingebrigtsen has ruled out defending his 1500m and 3000m titles at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in March and the 25-year-old might not compete at all until the Bislett Games on home soil in Oslo on 10 June.
"The Achilles is very good. But because of the last couple of years, I am a little bit more cautious. So I am prioritising my fitness towards the outdoor season. I will probably start at the Bislett Games in June.
“But my goals are to get double gold at the European Championships, a Diamond League final victory, and to make one good world record attempt in the 1500m, the mile and also the 5000m," said Ingebrigtsen as reported by The Guardian.
With six gold medals, Ingebrigtsen is already the most successful male athlete in European Athletics Championships history. He has swept the 1500m and 5000m titles at the last three editions dating back to Berlin 2018 where he bludgeoned onto the senior stage in uninhibited style at the age of 17.
Among his countless other achievements, Ingebrigtsen already holds two world indoor and two world outdoor records, including the world 3000m record with 7:17.55. This time bettered the long-standing world record held by Kenya’s Daniel Komen at 7:20.67, a mark which many rated as one of the toughest records on the books.
Ingebrigtsen has come tantalisingly close to Hicham El Guerrouj's long-standing world records in the 1500m (3:26.00) and mile (3:43.13) recent seasons with his European records of 3:26.73 and 3:43.73. Ingebrigtsen has made no secret of his intentions to break this records but he also believes some of the world records at the longer distances are within his repertoire as well.
"I know I can beat most of the world records from 1500m to the marathon. But it’s not easy. You really have to prioritise it and you also have to find the right place and right time," he said.
Ingebrigtsen's four world records
3:29.63 (1500m indoor) - Lievin 2025
3:45.14 (mile indoor) - Lievin 2025
4:43.13 (2000m) - Brussels 2023
7:17.55 (3000m) - Silesia 2024
