– We think he is amazing for this sport. He has an electric personality that took the 1500 meters level to incredible heights and we saw fantastic racing in the British mile, Chris Chavez told NRK.

This American is one of the journalists who heads Citius MAG, which in a short time has become a leader in athletics coverage in the US. He allowed himself to be entertained by Jakob Ingebrigtsen.

– The best moments from the press conference and zone came from Jakob, so I think he is a champion on and off the track, said Chavez, who believes that arrogance and self-confidence are often confused in successful runners.

Arrogant or confident?

It’s safe to say that Jakob Ingebrigtsen is aiming for a season with WC gold, WC silver, world records in the British two mile and 2000 metres, as well as a dizzying double win in the Diamond League final in Eugene.

– I think all athletes at the highest level should be a little…not cocky, but confident. I think people confuse those two things. Jakob was very confident and he followed through. There are many who can do it, but don’t follow through in the same way.

Because there’s no doubt that Ingebrigtsen’s fresh comments and candid interviews have caused quite a stir and divided American society. He was accused of being rude when he referred to recent world champion Josh Kerr as “the next man up”.

And recently at a press conference before the Diamond League final, he drew laughs for the way he confidently gave advice to Yared Nuguse: “Stay close to me and we’ll give you a score under 3.46.”

– I think he looks confident or arrogant. It depends on who you are. I think everyone respects it, but whether you like it or not depends a little, says Jonathan Gault on LetsRun.com.

“Unique talent”

But Nuguse’s suggestion worked. The American barely moved an inch before the race. There they broke the European and North American distance record in the fastest British mile in 24 years.

– He talks big, but he follows through. They both ran 3.43, so he did it right, Gault smiled.

– What sets it apart from the others?

– It’s rare for a European-born athlete to dominate long-distance running in such a way. It’s been a long time since that happened, especially at an altitude of 5000 meters. The practice, the time. In most races, he was far ahead of the others. He’s not invincible, we saw that in Budapest, but he has a unique talent.

Ingebrigtsen, who is ready to get married as usual, was quick to convey her message when NRK asked her opinion about all the opinions surrounding her attitude.

– It is a lie. There will always be someone who finds winning unpleasant. It was fun playing with them, Ingebrigtsen grinned.