“He was just the next guy up.”

Translated into Norwegian: He’s just the next person or the next in line.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s quote after his final defeat in the 1500 meters WC quickly became the talk of the athletics community and sparked debate.

Now the Norwegian told what he really meant by the statement about Josh Kerr – the gold winner from Budapest.

– People who know anything about athletics and running know that in championships there are some better and some worse performers. That’s how it is, Ingebrigtsen told NRK, shortly after he set a new world record in the 2000 meters in Brussels.

– Love it or hate it

Kerr called Ingebrigtsen “disrespectful” after her remarks at the WC.

– If he made comments like that, it was very disrespectful, Kerr told NRK last week.

In an interview with The Times before the weekend, Kerr explained her relationship with the Norwegian.

– He is a fierce competitor who does not have the respect he should have for his competitors. People either love him or hate him, but to me it means nothing if he doesn’t come and congratulate me. I always give credit to others and am not afraid of losing, but he is not like that.

Older brother Henrik Ingebrigtsen quickly turned on his younger brother’s master.

– I think it’s a bit bad to frankly say “oh, that’s rude”, he told NRK after the Diamond League convention in Zurich.

– Didn’t come out high

Jakob Ingebrigtsen has lowered his personal record in the 1500 meters to 3.27.14 this season, and is in a special class that is the biggest favorite over the distance. As the fourth fastest of all time over the distance, the 22-year-old does not believe he is reporting too harshly on his rivals.

– No, I’m not loud about anything. Everything I’ve done before and after everything I’ve ever done is in line with what I’ve done in track and field. That you ran two and a half seconds worse than you should, he said and continued:

– SOh sure, something is wrong. But again, it’s about performance when it matters.

As you know, Ingebrigtsen was battling fever and sore throat while in the toilet.

– The show continues

The WC loss for Kerr was the second in a row for Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Last year, it was Kerr’s compatriot and childhood friend, Jake Wightman, who made the cut in the 1500 final.

“No,” answered the Norwegian coach when asked if he had used the time since the WC to get over his disappointment.

Now he only looked forward.

– I pretty quickly moved on to the next one, but a bad performance will always be bad even if it takes longer. It will last forever. But things move on, so you still have to work hard and try to do your best to be ready for the next big thing, he said.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s Diamond League season ends in Eugene in the US next weekend.