Gjert Ingebrigtsen, father and former coach to Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen, has been cleared of allegations that he subjected his son to years of violence and intimidation. However, the court did find Gjert guilty of a separate assault against his daughter, Ingrid.
The highly publicized trial, which has gripped Norwegians for months, reached its conclusion this week. The court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to support Jakob’s claims that his father created a fearful, abusive environment during his formative years as an elite athlete.
According to BBC Sports, Gjert was found guilty of hitting his then-19-year-old daughter in the face with a towel during a heated family argument in 2022. For that incident, the 59-year-old was handed a suspended 15-day prison sentence and fined 10,000 Norwegian Kroner (approximately $950–$960). Prosecutors had sought a much harsher punishment, a two-and-a-half-year prison term.
No Clear Evidence of Fear or Intimidation
The court’s 31-page ruling cast doubt on the severity of the claims made against Gjert by Jakob and his brothers, Henrik and Filip.
While the court acknowledged that violence in close relationships can often remain hidden, it cited a lack of visible fear or submissiveness from Jakob in long-running family documentaries and other evidence presented.
“Jakob shows no signs of fear or submission in relation to the defendant,” read the verdict.
“He stands his ground and retaliates against the defendant’s verbal abuse.”
The ruling emphasized that while the athletes’ testimonies were credible, the totality of evidence fell short of proving continuous, long-term abuse beyond reasonable doubt.
Family Rift Laid Bare
The Ingebrigtsen family saga became public in October 2023, when Jakob, Henrik, and Filip co-authored an open letter accusing their father of being “very aggressive and controlling,” and of using physical violence and threats in their upbringing.
Jakob further claimed that Gjert had punched and kicked him in primary school and once threatened to kill him during a dispute.
The breaking point, according to the brothers, came when Gjert struck their younger sister Ingrid during a disagreement about going out with friends. That incident ultimately led to the criminal charges.
Gjert, who coached all three brothers to European titles and oversaw Jakob’s rise to Olympic stardom, including 1500m gold at the Tokyo 2021 Games and a 5000m triumph at Paris 2024, admitted to being a strict, “traditional and patriarchal” father but denied allegations of systemic abuse.
A Case With No Winners
Reacting to the ruling, Gjert’s lawyer, John Christian Elden, said, “This case has no winners, and today’s verdict shows that all those affected have been exposed to an enormous burden that should have been avoided.”
Jakob Ingebrigtsen, now 24, severed all professional ties with his father in 2022 and has since worked with a new coaching team.
Though the court’s decision may have resolved the legal questions, it has done little to heal the deeply fractured family dynamic, one that once presented a united front in the world of elite athletics.
