OLYMPIC 1,500m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen suffered a major setback by failing to advance from his heat at the world championships in Tokyo.
The Norwegian athlete, who won gold in the Japanese capital in 2021, has been battling an achilles injury that forced him to miss the entire outdoor season.
Ingebrigtsen started in his usual position at the back of the pack during Sunday’s heat at the National Stadium.
He found himself boxed in on the inside with little room to manoeuvre as they entered the final lap.
The 24-year-old could not produce his trademark acceleration and finished eighth in a heat won by Britain’s Jake Wightman.
Only the top six from each of the four heats qualified for Monday’s semi-finals, with the final scheduled for Wednesday.
“It’s a first-time experience that I haven’t got to the next round,“ said Ingebrigtsen.
“Of course, it’s very disappointing but at the same time it is a reality check.”
Ingebrigtsen added that the event remains very competitive and requires optimal preparation, which he could not achieve due to his injury.
The Norwegian sustained his injury after completing a rare world indoor double over 1,500m and 3,000m in Nanjing last March.
He now faces a decision about whether to compete in the 5,000m event, with heats scheduled for Friday and the final on Sunday.
Despite the disappointment, Ingebrigtsen remained optimistic about his chances in the longer distance event.
“I think I’m probably closer for the 5,000m race right now,“ he maintained.
“I’ll recover and have a couple of good days until I go again and try again.”
Britain’s Josh Kerr, who has dashed Ingebrigtsen’s title hopes in previous world championships, expressed confidence about his own ambitions.
“I am coming here as someone who’s done it before and I am coming to do it again,“ said Kerr.
Olympic champion Cole Hocker led a strong contingent of American teammates through the heats successfully.
Norway’s Narve Gilje Nordas also won his heat and expressed satisfaction with the racing conditions in Tokyo.
Wightman, returning to world championship competition after three years, described qualifying for the semi-finals as a significant achievement.
“That was a big step for me having not been to the world championships for three years,“ he said. – AFP
