Police in Norway have opened an investigation into allegations of violence made by Olympic 1500m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen and his older brothers Henrik and Filip against their father and former coach Gjert.
A criminal case has been opened after “several preliminary investigations”.
Gjert, who denied the allegations as “baseless”, has not been charged.
The 57-year-old’s lawyer, John Christian Elden, said the development was “not unexpected” and added his client is “confident of the outcome”.
“The fact that the police are opening an investigation does not mean that there are reasonable grounds to suspect Ingebrigtsen of anything criminal,” Elden said.
Jakob, who defended his world 5,000m title in Budapest in August, and Henrik and Filip – both also Olympic athletes – are among seven Ingebrigtsen children.
Gjert coached 23-year-old Jakob, Filip, 30 and Henrik, 32, throughout their childhood and for most of their careers, stepping down not long after Jakob’s Olympic triumph in Tokyo.
In a piece entitled ‘This is Our Story’ on Norwegian website VG, the brothers said they had to tell their story publicly because of intense media coverage in Norway about their split with Gjert.
They wrote: “We have grown up with a father who has been very aggressive and controlling and who has used physical violence and threats as part of his upbringing.
“We still feel discomfort and fear which has been in us since childhood.”
The Ingebrigtsen brothers added: “Two years ago, the same aggression and physical punishment struck again. It was the drop that made the cup run over.”
Gjert, through his lawyer, responded: “I have never used violence against my children. That I have weaknesses as a father, and have been too much of a coach, is a realisation I have also come to, albeit far too late.”
On Thursday, police inspector Terese Braut Vage, of Norway’s South-West police district, explained sufficient information had been collected to open a criminal case.
However, he added that the complex nature of the investigation – namely the close relationship between Gjert and his sons – would mean any outcome would take “some time”.
“We have carried out several preliminary investigations, and the information that has come to light has meant that we have now opened a criminal case,” said Braut Vage.
“A case has been opened under section 282 of the Criminal Code – abuse in close relationships. This means that we are now in an investigation phase, where the purpose of the investigation is to uncover whether there are criminal circumstances.”
The police inspector added: “I would like to emphasise that investigations into cases concerning abuse in close relationships are cases which, by their nature, require a thorough investigation over some time.”
Gjert was denied accreditation by the Norwegian Athletics Association (NFIF) for the World Indoor Championships in March in Glasgow and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
