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MOST reality TV stars can only dream of an Olympic gold.
But for the ‘cardio Kim Kardashian’, Paris 2024 is the chance to add to his tally on his pursuit to be the greatest runner ever.
AP:Associated Press
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InstagramAnd he will not be afraid to stick the boot in on his British rival and world champion Josh Kerr every step of the way.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen, 23, claimed top prize in the 1,500 in Tokyo three years ago and also has two world championship golds plus four European gongs both indoor and outdoor.
He is well used to the limelight, though.
That is because for five series he featured in the TV show Team Ingebrigtsen.
Launched in 2016, the programme followed the lives of running brothers Henrik, Filip, and Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
The trio openly they “directly reject Nordic egalitarianism” in the show, which included live tattoos, family arguments and even childbirth.
The Ingebrigtsen boys, though, did not just put on a show in front of the camera – but on the track as well.
Henrik claimed European 1,500m gold in 2012 and Filip bagged the honour four years later.
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But inked-up Jakob is already the best of the bunch with his tidal wave of titles, starting with 1,500m and 5,000m European gold aged just 17.
Now he is targeting the same double in Rome – when his wife Elisabeth is due to give birth to their first baby.
The couple got married in September 2023, with the elite athlete completing a mind-boggling beer mile in just five minutes and 22 seconds on his stag do.
Ingebrigtsen openly admits he may have to miss the arrival of his first child due to his work commitments.
He is preparing to become a dad while also dealing with a complicated relationship with his own father.
Henrik, Filip, and Jakob accused their father and ex-coach Gjert of “physical violence and threats” in a newspaper article at the end of 2023.
The brothers added they still live in “discomfort and fear” but, while their father admitted he is “far from perfect”, Gjert denied the serious allegations of violence.
After Rome, Ingebrigtsen will head to Paris trying to achieve a memorable Olympics feat of defending his 1,500m crown – in his “worst event” – and adding the 5,000m gong to take a step further to his ultimate goal in sport.
Super-confident Ingebrigtsen said: “My goal was never only to win the 1,500m gold medal.
“My goal was to be the best runner in history.
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Instgram @jakobing“The greatest is not crowned yet.
“Five or six [Olympic] gold medals, to be better than all the different runners in all the disciplines, would be the end of the discussion.
“The goal is never to have the [GOAT] discussion again.
“I am a half-marathon man. That’s where I am best. I get a bit worse the further I go down in distance.
“At 10k I’m a bit worse, and at 5k I’m a bit worse again, and then the same for the 1,500m. I’m an endurance athlete. The 1,500m is my worst event.”
That confidence, according to some, borders over into arrogance.
He recently said he could beat Kerr’s new two-mile indoor world record with a blindfold on – despite losing to the Brit in their sprint finish in the 1,500m world champs final in Budapest last year.
It is a rivalry that is brewing beautifully ahead of the Olympics – although Ingebrigtsen was quick to shoot down Kerr’s challenge to his supremacy.
It’s a fine line… being an a**hole who just cares about themselves and is rude to everybody
Jakob IngebrigtsenThe Norwegian told The Times as he makes his comeback from an Achilles injury: “The biggest issue is giving people like Kerr attention.
“That’s what he is seeking. He is missing something in himself that he is searching for in others. I’m not the sort of guy to approve those sorts of things.
“I am strict and notorious when it comes to my own mindset. If other athletes are not the same, I cannot respect them the way I respect myself. That’s what I see in call rooms.
“Of course people are not going to beat me because they don’t have half the mentality I have.”
Ingebrigtsen added: “I am very attached to the people closest to me but there is a very strong line around them. I really don’t care for anything outside.
“If people have done some things that are unfair I am not letting them back in, I’m never giving them my respect again.
“That comes from the approach I have had growing up as a professional runner all my life.
“It’s a fine line between being like that and being an a**hole who just cares about themselves and is rude to everybody.”
Ingebrigtsen has at times faced criticism for his outspoken confidenceAP
Instagram @elisabethassers
Instagram @elisabethassers
Instagram @elisabethassers
Ingebrigtsen boldly claimed the half-marathon is his best event – and 1,500m his worstSportsfile
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