Norwegian athletics star Jakob Ingebrigtsen has given emotional testimony in court, alleging years of physical and psychological abuse at the hands of his father, Gjert Ingebrigtsen. The high-profile trial, considered one of the most significant in Norway’s history, began just days after Jakob secured a double victory at the World Indoor Championships in China.
During his four-hour testimony, the 24-year-old detailed harrowing experiences, stating that his father would “beat me until I was sick” and controlled him and his siblings through fear. Jakob, along with his older brothers Henrik and Filip, severed ties with Gjert as their coach in 2022 and publicly shared their experiences to protect their younger sister, Ingrid. The court was shown an image of Ingrid with a mark on her face, allegedly caused by their father striking her with a wet towel after she refused to go for a run.
Gjert, who denies all allegations and faces up to six years in prison if convicted, has been accused of repeated verbal and physical abuse. Jakob recalled being kicked in the stomach and threatened in a car while traveling with his siblings. He described how Gjert would humiliate and beat him if he failed to meet expectations, referring to him as a “f***ing idiot,” “thug,” and “terrorist.”
The Olympian also revealed how his father’s actions affected him deeply, making it difficult for him to trust others or express emotions. “If I was happy or did something nice, it could be used against me if I was a little tired at training the next day,” he said. He added that he stopped calling Gjert “dad” at age 11, believing his actions were unworthy of a father.
The trial is expected to continue until mid-May.
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