Jakob Ingebrigtsen back to winning ways in 1500m at Lausanne Diamond League 

WINNING WAYS: Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen is back to winning ways after he wins the 1500m at the Lausanne Diamond League. Picture: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

For Jakob Ingebrigtsen this wasn’t so much revenge, and certainly not redemption, but more a case of normal service resumed for one of the greatest athletes of his generation. Just over a fortnight after failing to win a medal in his beloved 1500m in Paris, the 23-year-old Norwegian gave Olympic champion Cole Hocker of USA a convincing beating at the Lausanne Diamond League.

Ingebrigtsen clocked 3:27.83 to win the 1500m well ahead of Hocker (3:29.83), having drafted behind a pair of pacemakers – including Ireland’s Luke McCann – until the last lap. Hocker was close enough to strike on the back straight but this time around, Ingebrigtsen had plenty left in the tank.

“Its been almost two weeks since Paris so there was plenty of time to recover,” said Ingebrigtsen, who won the Olympic 5000m title following his disappointment over 1500m. 

“For me a lot of it has been mental including going home, taking some easy days and then getting back to work. Tonight's race gave me good answers and I´m looking forward to building on this.” 

Hocker said that “considering the overwhelming past two weeks, it was a solid race. Physically I felt comfortable, but mentally, it's a new challenge being announced as Olympic champion. I felt the pressure, but I'm excited about how things are shaping up.” 

Ingebrigtsen will race over 3000m at the Silesia Diamond League on Sunday, where Irish teenager Nick Griggs is also in the line-up. Rhasidat Adeleke will return to action there over 400m, taking on the three women who beat her at the Olympics in Paris.

Elsewhere in Lausanne, Kenya’s Olympic champion Emmanual Wanyonyi set a Diamond League record of 1:41.11 in the 800m, Femke Bol bounced back to winning ways in the 400m hurdles with 52.25 while Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo won the 200m in 19.64.