Two-time Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen has apologised for describing his rivals as “a bunch of cowards” following his fourth-place finish in the Diamond League final in Brussels.
The Norwegian admitted that he went too far with his choice of words after a frustrating men’s 1500m final but maintained his criticism of American rival Cole Hocker and his team over their pacemaking tactics.Ingebrigtsen’s comments went viral after Saturday’s race, with the Norwegian expressing his anger over what he believed was a change in strategy by Hocker’s camp.World silver medalist reflects on season after ending with new 1500m personal bestIn a statement, Ingebrigtsen acknowledged that his emotions had got the better of him.“I shouldn’t have called anyone losers. I apologise for that. It was beneath me, regardless of the adrenaline and emotions,” he said.However, he refused to withdraw his criticism of Hocker.
“But I stand by what I said about Cole and his team acting cowardly. They told the other athletes and the organisers that they were targeting a specific pace and were bringing in their own pacemaker to set that pace, but then they did something completely different,” he averred.
Ingebrigtsen had expected a faster race after being informed about the planned pace and believed the eventual tactics did not match what had been communicated to the athletes and organisers.The Norwegian insisted his frustration was not simply about losing the race.Brussels DL: Simon Koech claims bronze as Julius Yego falters in javelin“When you promise the crowd a fast race, you have a responsibility to follow through, at least in my view. This isn’t about me losing. I wasn’t good enough. It’s about taking responsibility for the commitments you’ve made to the meeting organisers, the crowd and your competitors,” he added.Ingebrigtsen had controlled much of the race and appeared to be on course for victory before fading over the closing stages.
Australia’s Cameron Myers produced a perfectly timed finish to claim the Diamond League title in 3:30.14, edging Phanuel Kipkosgei Koech by just 0.04 seconds.American Ethan Strand finished third in 3:30.50, while Ingebrigtsen was fourth in 3:30.52. Hocker crossed the line eighth in 3:30.80.The result extended what has been a challenging period for Ingebrigtsen as he continues his comeback from Achilles surgery in February. Despite dictating much of the pace, he was unable to hold off the chasing pack during the final 30 metres.Kemboi storms to Diamond League final podium as Ewoi shines with 1500m PBHis frustration boiled over immediately after the race, when he accused his rivals of hiding behind one another.“I’m very disappointed in the race and the result; I’m racing against a bunch of cowards. That is what it is,” he said.He singled out Myers for praise while aiming at the rest of the field.
“It’s only Cameron [Myers] that’s a good racer; everyone else looked like losers, me included,” he said.The Norwegian’s main grievance centred on the pacemaking strategy involving Hocker and Christian Jackson, who trains alongside the American. Ingebrigtsen claimed Hocker had switched pacemakers and then positioned himself behind other runners instead of following the expected pace.
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“Cole, he got the pacemaker changed and swapped to his own teammate on behalf of a French pacer. Everybody thought he was forcing himself to follow the pacemaker, but that was just a trick. He fooled all of us. He decided to hide behind everyone else,” Ingebrigtsen said after the race.Despite the public fallout, Ingebrigtsen revealed that he and Hocker had already spoken about the incident and considered the matter settled between them.“Cole and I talked it through after the race. As far as we’re concerned, the matter is settled, so I don’t really understand why his agent is getting involved in all of this now,” he said.
Ingebrigtsen also defended his right to express emotion after a major race, arguing that strong reactions are part of sport.“If you’re not allowed to show a bit of passion after a race, you should find a sport that doesn’t want an audience,” he said. While he accepts that calling his rivals “losers” and “a bunch of cowards” was inappropriate, the Norwegian remains adamant that his concerns over Hocker’s tactics were legitimate.