Arch-Rival's Absence In Grand Slam Track Raises Doubt On Ingebrigtsen's Dominance, Says Kerr

Jakob Ingebrigtsen's stunning victory at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, last month cemented his status as the world's best middle-distance runner. The Norwegian, who won the 1500m and 5000m gold medals, has now won three world titles and an Olympic silver in just four years.

However, there is one glaring omission from Ingebrigtsen's resume: a victory at a Grand Slam meeting, a series of prestigious annual track and field events held in Europe. Ingebrigtsen has competed in the Grand Slam several times, but he has never won a race at the series' most prestigious events: the Diamond League Final and the Weltklasse Zurich.

This is not for want of trying. Ingebrigtsen has finished second in the 1500m at the Diamond League final twice, in 2019 and 2021 and was third in the 5000m at the Weltklasse Zurich in 2020. But he has never been able to quite get over the line first.

What the Experts Say

There are several reasons why Ingebrigtsen has struggled to win at the Grand Slam meetings. One is that the competition is simply tougher at these events. The Grand Slam meetings attract the world's best athletes, and the level of racing is often extremely high.

"The Grand Slam meetings are the most prestigious events in track and field," said Steve Cram, a former world 1500m champion and current commentator. "The competition is always incredibly tough, and it's very difficult to win.

Another reason for Ingebrigtsen's struggles may be that he is not yet as experienced as some of his rivals. The Norwegian is still only 21, and he has only been competing at the senior level for a few years. Some of his rivals, such as Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda and Timothy Cheruiyot of Kenya, have been competing at the top level for much longer.

"Ingebrigtsen is a great runner, but he is still young," said Cram. "He has not yet had the same level of experience as some of his rivals. I think he will come good in time, but he may need to wait a little longer before he can start winning at the Grand Slam meetings.

Missing the Mark

Ingebrigtsen's most recent attempt at winning a Grand Slam meeting came at the Diamond League Final in Zurich last September. The Norwegian was the favorite for the 1500m, but he was beaten by Cheruiyot in a thrilling race. Ingebrigtsen was disappointed with his performance, but he said he would learn from the experience.

"I'm not happy with the result, but I gave it my all," Ingebrigtsen said. "I learned a lot from this race, and I will be back stronger next year.

Ingebrigtsen's absence from the Grand Slam track raises doubts about whether he is truly the dominant force in middle-distance running. While he has won three world titles and an Olympic silver medal, he has yet to prove himself at the sport's most prestigious events.

However, Ingebrigtsen is still only 21, and he has time to develop into a truly dominant runner. If he can continue to improve, he could become one of the greatest middle-distance runners of all time.

Conclusion

Jakob Ingebrigtsen is one of the most talented middle-distance runners in the world. He has already won three world titles and an Olympic silver medal, and he is still only 21. However, Ingebrigtsen has yet to win a race at a Grand Slam meeting, and this raises doubts about whether he is truly the dominant force in the sport.

There are several reasons why Ingebrigtsen may have struggled to win at the Grand Slam meetings. One is that the competition is simply tougher at these events. Another reason may be that Ingebrigtsen is not yet as experienced as some of his rivals. However, Ingebrigtsen is still only 21, and he has time to develop into a truly dominant runner.