Jakob Ingebrigtsen's oldest brother details shocking family abuse

Kristoffer Ingebrigtsen reveals alleged childhood abuse by his father Gjert detailing physical and emotional violence within their family dynamics.

Sometimes childhood memories can define the course of our lives, and for Kristoffer Ingebrigtsen the eldest brother of world 3,000m record holder Jakob Ingebrigtsen these memories are painfully vivid and distressing.

In a courageous disclosure through Norway’s largest newspaper Aftenposten and its companion podcast, Kristoffer details a history of alleged abuse at the hands of his father, Gjert Ingebrigtsen, which paints a starkly different picture from the public facade of a celebrated athletics coach.

Kristoffer, now 36, recalls incidents from his early childhood that have remained etched in his mind. One of the earliest and most harrowing memories involves his younger brother Henrik, who was just a toddler at the time.

“Henrik was only two or three years old and had done something wrong. I was six. Gjert stood with his leg on top of his head, and sort of pressed downwards, while Henrik lay on the floor and bounced his legs. I told that in interrogation as well," he narrated as quoted by LetsRun.

The sheer detail and emotional weight of Kristoffer's recollections raise significant concerns about the environment in which the Ingebrigtsen siblings grew up.

“It’s burned. It’s not like at the age of 36 I’m thinking: ‘Oh, now I remember something that happened 30 years ago’. I’ve remembered it every day since. It’s like that with the worst things. You won’t forget them,” he asserts.

Throughout his narrative, Kristoffer describes a childhood marred by fear and intimidation, where his father's temper could turn violent at a moment's notice.

Meals were a particular battleground, with Gjert allegedly force-feeding his children to the point of regurgitation.

“He was very good at taking each of us if there was something. To stand alone with a grown man who screams and threatens things right up in your face… It’s very scary,” Kristoffer recounted.

One particularly violent incident occurred when Kristoffer was either 15 or 16 and he describes how a refusal to help around the house led to a terrifying confrontation in the laundry room.

“You weren’t really allowed to say no. Then Gjert came home and was completely crazy. In the laundry room, he took a stranglehold on me with both hands. I felt that he lifted me up. I screamed at my mother, her name. She said, ‘Not so hard, Gjert.'” Kristoffer remembers gasping for air, vividly feeling the threat on his life.

The breaking point came in the winter of 2022, following an alleged incident involving his sister Ingrid and a towel. The mark left on her face prompted Kristoffer to confront his father, armed initially with a hunting knife and then a baseball bat.

“Then I saw Gjert going in and out of the house. ‘What the fuck have you done?’ I screamed and shoved him all I could in the chest,” he narrates, marking a decisive moment in their fraught relationship.

In response to these allegations, Gjert Ingebrigtsen’s legal representatives, John Christian Elden and Heidi Reisvang, emphasize that all cases except those involving Ingrid and Jakob have been investigated and dropped due to a statute of limitations.

They advocate for a fair trial, stating “Gjert denies any criminal conduct towards his children and expects a fair treatment when he comes before a court.”

Kristoffer acknowledges the resilience and toughness instilled by their upbringing but is unequivocal about the scars it left.

“We are hardened. We can withstand a lot and can withstand most things. If anything positive has come out of this upbringing, it is that he has made us very… What can I say? Robust. Hard,” he admits.

This candid revelation by Kristoffer Ingebrigtsen has shed light on the darker aspects of a family known for their athletic prowess, challenging the public’s perception and calling for a reevaluation of the boundaries between discipline and abuse in the pursuit of greatness.