Jakob Ingebrigtsen is no stranger to breaking records, but as he aims for a world record tomorrow, the true test lies ahead: the World Championships in Tokyo. For all his tremendous control in circuit races, the championship events appeared to be a perfectly different challenge. Now that new champions, Josh Kerr and Cole Hocker have come up, Ingebrigtsen realizes changes in tactics are inevitable if he is to win at the highest level ever. A question arises: Can he rewrite his story, or will the weight of the competition prove too much?

Talking about the prediction of the future, track and field expert Jonathan Gault, a staff writer for LetsRundotcom, has his own thoughts about Ingebrigtsen and his favorite in the track and field. Recently, Gault was seen on the “LetsRundotcom” YouTube channel with Weldon Johnson, a two-time member of the U.S. national team, and talked about him. He sparked some debate with his remarks about Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s performance in championship races. Gault said, “Maybe Jakob changes his tactics; he tries to do what he did at Euros; maybe that’s your argument there. I don’t want to insult him, but because he’s so good on the circuit, Championship racing is fundamentally different from Diamond Leagues.”

Ingebrigtsen has four golds in the Diamond League in 2022, 2023, and 2024 in the 1500 m. But he couldn’t get the top place on the podium in many others. In 2023, Ingebrigtsen was on fire. He established the world record for two-mile run (7:54.10) at Paris and set a European record for 1,500 meters (3:27.14), which is the fourth-fastest time in history.

Gault further added, “He’s tried to do something similar in the last three Global finals, and he hasn’t won the gold, so I just, and especially because Kerr has shown he can deliver on that stage and he has the last two years, I think I would have Kerr as a favorite over Ingebrigtsen.” Ingebrigtsen faced off against competitors Josh Kerr and Yared Nuguse in the Bowerman Mile of the Prefontaine Classic on May 25, 2024. Kerr set a new British record by winning in 3:45.34, followed by Ingebrigtsen in second place (3:45.60) and Nuguse in third place (3:46.22).

It is truly exciting to think how Ingebrigtsen rules in the Diamond League but can’t capture the gold in the global championships over the last three years. Gault states that the pressure and tactics that exist in a championship are different from the more predictable conditions of Diamond League races, which, so far, Ingebrigtsen has been exceptional in. The Norwegian athlete is exceptionally extraordinary but has not won a medal on the world stage when it mattered most. Now, he is all geared up for the World Athletics Indoor Tour in the Challenger subgroup, which is going to be held on February 13.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen might face challenges at the World Championships in Tokyo

Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the Norwegian middle- and long-distance runner, has firmly established himself as a formidable force in athletics. At just 24, he boasts an impressive array of achievements. After placing fourth in the 1500m in this summer’s Paris Games, he took home the gold in the 5,000m. At the last two world championships, he won gold in the 5,000-meter event at the 2022 World Atheletics Championships but was defeated into silver in the shorter event.

His phenomenal natural abilities ensure his name appears in the book of world records for the distances of 2000 m and 3000 m, as well as the quite extraordinary 2-mile world record. In 2024, he posted an incredible chrono of 3:26.73 in the 1500m at the Monaco Diamond League, the best time since 2015. Looking ahead, Ingebrigtsen is targeting further success at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, scheduled for March 6-9, 2025.

However, the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo present new challenges. It is expected that the competition will be aggressive with the presence of athletes such as Josh Kerr, who has recently defeated Ingebrigtsen at the Paris Olympics, and Yared Nuguse, who has beaten him at the Zurich Diamond League, being the main threats. Notwithstanding that, Ingebrigtsen himself is convinced of the possibility of his further development and he is very determined to become the holder of other titles in his successful career.

On the Citius Mag podcast, Josh Kerr called out Jakob for skipping the brand-new Grand Slam Track league. It is to be seen how Ingebrigtsen is going to perform tomorrow and at the World Championship in Tokyo.