It has built up to a drama that we Norwegians have hardly seen the likes of in a sporting context. Because this very evening, the stage is set for a special episode, where “Team Ingebrigtsen” joins forces with “Karsten and Leif” to create entertainment television the likes of which we have almost never seen. This is the evening where everyone who is not interested in athletics is interested in athletics. This Wednesday could end up being the biggest day in Norwegian sports history. Also when it comes to sports. Also because a new element has appeared in the exclusive company, which is really reserved for our very biggest stars. For Narve Gilje Nordås has gone from a kind of elite sports reluctance, where he wondered if he should simply give up, to being a serious and sensational contender for the world’s best middle-distance runner in a special class. FINAL READY: Nordås sails up as a medal contender under Gjert Ingebrigtsen’s wings. Photo: Beate Oma Dahle / NTB The dispute is, as everyone soon realized, that Nordås has got there through the authoritative assistance of the former coach of the aforementioned unique club. Former coach. Current father. And the relationship between the two former training mates is, in Nordås’ own words, “non-existent”. The non-existent elephant Until this Wednesday, the entire conflict has lain like an almost volcanic blanket during the preparations for the final. Those who have treated it with the greatest dignity are, paradoxically, the main characters themselves. Jakob Ingebrigtsen refuses to talk about the subject. “My biggest challenge? To get over the finish line first”, as he so elegantly parried the closest anyone has come to daring to suggest the conflict to him. Narve Gilje Nordås, for his part, refers to the situation with a much greater degree of mildly camouflaged clarity. “There is no elephant in the room”, as he himself expressed it after arriving in Budapest. He is, in a way, absolutely right. It’s not one elephant, it’s a small herd. RE-DISCUSSED: There are question marks in the air around the Ingebrigtsen family. Photo: Geir Olsen / NTB There is so much unsaid in this conflict that no one manages not to be involved in what is happening elsewhere than on the tartan deck on the banks of the Danube in the middle of the Hungarian capital. But into this evening all the elephants run in the same direction for once. The top speed of an elephant is also 40 km/h. A little below what Usain Bolt had at his most extreme. In 2023, it will be Norwegian athletes who push the boundaries. Toxic For, where many had believed – or feared – that Gjert Ingebrigtsen would contribute to an increase in the tension level after being denied so-called accreditation by the athletics association, was so far wrong. Luckily. The only thing that came close was a particularly unsubtle Instagram post, in which father Ingebrigtsen quoted the also much talked about Britney Spears and her old hit “Oops, I did it again”. If anyone should have forgotten that Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s former coach is after all present in Budapest. Albeit without accreditation. Norway has a quota of 11 personal trainers. In comparison, more than Great Britain has, with a squad twice as large. But no room for the coach of one of our very few medal hopes. The reason is of course a much-discussed internal conflict in the Ingebrigtsen family. Where no one knows or should know the details, everyone sees one of the consequences here in Budapest. In the form of a duel with emotional undertones bordering on the slightly absurd. Those who remain silent And it is a situation Norwegian athletics should avoid. The considerations for him, who is hoped to win two WC golds, exceed all principles. GOLD HUNT: Jakob Ingebrigtsen is chasing his first WC gold in the 1500 metres. Photo: Denes Erdos / AP Which could have been defended. If only those who are supposed to defend it did so. But neither general secretary Ketil Hildeskår nor athletics president Anne Farseth, who says the decision was made based on an overall assessment, wanted to take the responsibility they should in explaining the priorities and instead pushed an obviously uncomfortable sports manager Erlend Slokvik in front of them. Also here in Budapest. But this Wednesday, the sports manager can also focus on the tasks his title thinks he should prioritize. In the space of approximately 35 minutes, 45 seconds and around 80 hundredths, we can get two of the biggest contributions to Norwegian sports history ever. Because if Norway on paper has the favorites in both the 1500 meters and 400 meters hurdles, there are at the same time two stars looking for revenge, which is a situation both probably and hopefully know how to draw further motivation from. The return’s half-hour Jakob Ingebrigtsen has been the world’s best 1,500-meter runner in a special class since he took the Olympic gold over the distance in 2021. But he does not have WC gold over the distance. Karsten Warholm has two WC gold medals in the 400 meter hurdles. But lost the world title to Brazilian Alison dos Santos in Eugene last year – after a long period of injury problems. Now neither Warholm nor the always reticent coach Alnes can hide that the sunning is at a level he has never been before. A whole athletics world is therefore looking forward to the big showdown against dos Santos and American Rai Benjamin. And dreams of seeing the three of them look the same on the run a little after 21:50 local time. BIG DEAL: Can Warholm take back the world title? Photo: DYLAN MARTINEZ / Reuters Just a little. Because the probability of this ending with a new world record is high. Hopefully it will remain Norwegian. And can gild the second WC gold in one evening. We have never won the 1500 metres. Now suddenly we have two who can actually do it. And then at the same time we have to move one verse forward in the children’s song. The one that tells of the two elephants that came marching past this spider’s fine spin. Three elephants come marching this Wednesday evening. And there is no need to doubt that the road is extremely interesting.
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Three elephants came marching – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
