Cathal Dennehy: Ingebrigtsen story shows the worst of pushy parenting

Gjert, the father and trainer at one of the world’s top middle-distance stables, is facing questions about how he raised his children.

Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen celebrates after winning the men's 1500m event in the Diamond League in Lausanne. Pic: Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

The look left you in no doubt. It was March 2022, the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, and Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the reigning Olympic champion, had just won a silver medal in the 1500m.

In the months before, stories had been leaking out of Norway about a rift in the Ingebrigtsen family, specifically between the three athlete brothers – Jakob, Filip and Henrik – and their father, Gjert, who’d coached them all their lives. Gjert was known to be a hard taskmaster, an impression that came across loud and clear in the long-running reality TV series: Team Ingebrigtsen.