Jakob Ingebrigtsen, world record holder in the 1,500 meters and arguably the most popular worldwide track athlete, has arrived in Flagstaff to begin an altitude training stint in his effort to defend his Olympic 1,500 title this summer in Paris.
Ingebrigtsen made the announcement on social media (naturally). It’s not the first time the Norwegian superstar has hit town. This time, however, he is coming off an injured Achilles tendon that forced him to skip the indoor season and this Saturday’s World Athletics Cross Country Championships.
This, then, will be a crucial training block for Ingebrigtsen, 23, was was married last summer and whose wife, Elisabeth Asserson, is expecting the couple’s first child in June.
Ingebrigtsen is scheduled to make his return to racing in a big, big way on May 5, when he will battle Brit Josh Kerr and American Yared Nuguse at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore. The last time Ingebrigtsen raced was also in Eugene, last September at the Diamond League Finals.
Since then, he has engaged in a war of words with Kerr, who upset Ingebrigtsen at the 2023 World Championship 1,500 meters in Budapest. At one point, he said he could beat Kerr while running blindfolded.
We’ll have to keep and eye out and see if Ingebrigtsen trains san vision at NAU’s track or on Lake Mary Road.
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