From the final corner of 1500 meters, his rival Timothy Cheruiyot stood no chance against Jakob Ingebrigtsen. The Norwegian eventually took the lead to finish for her first win in the Diamond League final.

With the Norwegian flag on his shoulders, a contented Ingebrigtsen has received a diamond – but he could still do a little better:

– It’s a bit bitter that the season is over, because I feel really good. There’s a lot of work to be done to keep me in the same shape as the summer of 2023, but that’s how it is, Ingebrigtsen told NRK.

– Is that the best shape you’ve ever had?

– Yes of course. I think you can also see that when I run two races now it’s pretty fast at 3.29 without any particular focus focus. If we want to bring something, it bodes well for the future.

Surprised at the starting line

But just before the start of the 1500 meters, Ingebrigtsen discovered something he didn’t realize before.

– To be honest, I was prepared for it to be a light rabbit. So I was told that when I stood at the starting line, from the rabbit, said Ingebrigtsen.

He had ordered the rabbit to “don’t run faster than light” and then he discovered that there were no light rabbits in the race at all, like last year.

– What did you think when you found out that it wasn’t there?

– Then I just had to adjust a little bit and think, yeah, I’d rather try to win. Don’t try to win and run as fast as you can. “I’m always looking for a good time, of course, and that’s all, very happy,” he said.

– Dit’s not the race you think you should have (lyshare, journ.anm.). Now you are running to win big trophies.

– It goes pchew fast

Because in the second race in a row he finished in 3.29, this time even a few hundred times faster than before. And Thursday’s race in Zurich kicked off at an insane pace in perfect weather conditions.

– It goes really fast in the first 300 meters, said the Post.

The rabbit was scheduled to run at 3.28 in Thursday’s race, which was faster than the previous race. Then the time is 3.29.05. Ingebrigtsen’s personal record from the Olympics in Tokyo is 3,28,32.

– He’s working hard now, while Jakob is much easier, says NRK commentator Jann Post about the rabbit, who started the race at an incredible speed.

When he disappeared, it was Jakob Ingebrigtsen who led the field. On the last lap he got competition from his fierce competitor Timothy Cheruiyot.

– He swept them, the Post exclaimed about Ingebrigtsen.

Despite going really fast at the start, no new records were set. Ingebrigtsen still ran into the best year in the world with a time of 3:29.02. Cheruiyot followed in second place, while Australia’s Oliver Hoare was third.

The lost trophy

Jakob Ingebrigtsen has amassed multiple medals and victories in recent years as a senior runner, and this year alone he has won all the events he has participated in.

But the 21-year-old loses the diamond you get as the winner of the Diamond League.

– I’ve never won it before, and was second twice before. “It will be interesting to try one more time and see what it is all about,” he told NRK before the final.

Prior to Thursday’s final, Ingebrigtsen felt it was a pity that he didn’t secure it earlier. In the last two years, the Norwegian has finished second in the Diamond League final.

Only two Norwegians have won diamonds before. Andreas Thorkildsen won it in 2010, while fencing king Karsten Warholm took it home in 2020 and 2021. The prize pool is 30,000 Swiss francs, which is over NOK 300,000.