Insatiable Ingebrigtsen targets 1 500m world double

NANJING – Despite the incredible success he has enjoyed so far in his career, Jakob Ingebrigtsen has never won a world title in the 1,500 metres and that is something he is determined to put right, indoors and outdoors, in Nanjing and Tokyo this season.

The Norwegian arrived in China over the weekend for this week’s World Indoor Championships and will return to Asia in September for the outdoor edition at Tokyo’s National Stadium, where he won Olympic gold in the event in 2021.

“That’s definitely the goal for the season,” he said on March 17.

“I try to do as well as I can, try to participate as much as possible, but ultimately the 1,500m is my main event and my favourite event. So that’s always going to be the main focus and the main goal.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to have visible improvement in my personal best in the last couple of years, and I’m still a big believer that I can continue that going for many years in the future.”

Ingebrigtsen won silver behind Samuel Tefera in the 1,500m at his only previous indoor worlds in Belgrade in 2022, missing out on the 2024 edition in Glasgow because of an Achilles injury.

In the last two outdoor world 1,500m races he was beaten into silver in almost identical circumstances by British duo Jake Wightman, in Eugene 2022, and Josh Kerr in Budapest 2023.

The 24-year-old also failed in his attempt to retain his 1,500m title at the 2024 Paris Olympics, ending fourth but did go home with a gold in the 5,000m to add to the back-to-back outdoor world titles he won in the longer event in 2022 and 2023.

He has been in impressive indoor form in 2025, setting world records for the mile and 1,500m