“I’m ready to go after it… I think we all are,” Josh Kerr said after the 1500m semi-finals. For these past two years, the Ingebrigtsen-Kerr rivalry has dominated every conversation about the 1500m. However, Jakob Ingebrigtsen has been more outspoken in their war of words. This time was no different, as the defending Olympic champion fired shots at the competition.

“Winning isn’t for everyone,” he posted on Instagram after setting a new 1500m European record at the Herculis Meeting. However, Cole Hocker shocked both the 2023 world champion and the defending Olympic champion by emphatically defeating Kerr and Ingebrigtsen, setting an Olympic record with 3:27.65. Now, many fans are refusing to show humility to the Norwegian.

The 23-year-old took to social media after a devastating fourth-place finish in a race where he was a favorite. “My team always say, ‘because you have a big mouth and is the one to beat, you have everything to lose in competitions’,” Jakob Ingebrigtsen wrote in a self-aware admission. However, he gave credit where credit was due. “Today, Cole Hocker, Yared Nuguse, and Josh Kerr outsmarted me.”

The former Olympic champion made no attempts to hide his disappointment as he congratulated his rivals. Ingebrigtsen was firmly in the lead when the runners rounded the final bend. However, neither he nor Josh Kerr could’ve expected Hocker to shift into a new gear during the final stretch. The American first overtook Ingebrigtsen and then outpaced Kerr right before the finish line.

While the Norwegian didn’t acknowledge his arch-rival Josh Kerr in person, he thanked “all the competitors” for making the race exciting. The Olympian also thanked everyone, including the fans, his team, and the Norwegian Athletics Association. However, not everyone was ready to accept the humble side of Jakob Ingebrigtsen after his repeated jibes at the competition.

Fans gave Jakob Ingebrigtsen a taste of his own medicine

The 23-year-old middle-distance runner implied that Hocker, Kerr, and Nuguse “outsmarted him” during the final stretch. The World Championship silver medalist chalked up the defeat as a strategic misstep in the final 300m. However, not everyone seemed convinced. “They didn’t ‘outsmart him’, they simply outran him! The tactics were all his, but he couldn’t convert,” commented one track and field enthusiast.

Meanwhile, another fan also implied that Hocker, Kerr, and Nuguse simply had more stamina left in the tank. The netizen said that Jakob Ingebrigtsen just couldn’t keep up in the concluding moments of the race, despite his best efforts. “He tried so hard to run the legs off the field… And failed. Miserably,” he wrote. In fact, the X-user wasn’t even ready to accept whether this show of humility was genuine. “So, taking that post with a pinch of salt,” the user added.

“Easy to be humble once you have lost,” commented one fan. Over the last two years, Ingebrigtsen has never missed an opportunity to take shots at the competition. Before naming his Scottish rival, the “Brit who never competes,” the former champion didn’t acknowledge others, like Hocker, as threats. One individual implied that it was this attitude that ultimately led to disaster.

“Disrespecting other athletes was low. Life didn’t miss the call!” commented the netizen. However, one track and field enthusiast predicted the end of Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s 1500m dominance. “You have to be humble when you’re out of the medals, and you can only be arrogant for so long when you continually lose finals. Maybe he will move his focus to the longer distances now. It’s hard to see how he wins another 1500m championship when so many can out-kick him,” the fan wrote.

It’s a bold statement considering the Norwegian was the defending champion before the final in Paris. He also has equal wins in the 1500m and 5000m in the European championships. However, many may not be ready to forgive the boastful champion. Ingebrigtsen will get a shot at redemption in the 5000m event.