– When every step and every session hurts, it’s not very pleasant, Filip Ingebrigtsen told Dagbladet.

She is the best in the Ingebrigtsen family and took bronze in the 1500 meters WC in London in 2017, a year after she became European champion over distance.

Also in 2018, he was the best in his family and in Europe before he was injured at the European Athletics Championships in Berlin. Then Jakob took advantage of the opportunity and won two gold medals at the European Championships. And since then Jakob has been the best in his family – and now in the world.

While Henrik has bounced back sportingly this season, in addition to coaching world champion Jakob, Filip has been in the shadows more recently.

Last year was a sporting nightmare marked by a nasty Achilles injury. Both the World Cup and European Championships are known for the racing grace of Sandnes.

I’m well

But now the pain is finally gone.

Filip is on his way to recovery, with a fresh dose of optimism, despite the Bislett Games setback in which the 30-year-old went bankrupt.

– Your top level is sky high, which you have shown before. Is it possible to get there again?

– I have faith. But it’s clearly too early to draw conclusions, says Filip Ingebrigtsen Daily newspaper.

– What must there be to get there?

– First and foremost to be injury free. I now. And then I have to get some competition on my feet and training sessions of no less quality. Then I thought it was coming, he said.

– How long have you been injury-free?

– I strained my Achilles last year which is very hard to get rid of. I have been trained, but not quite with high quality. The pain started to subside in the spring, so I guess I’ve been injury free since spring, the 30 year old replied.

– How was this injury pain period for you?

– It’s so boring, especially since it hurts so much. It dampens the joy of playing the sport.

Contrast with Jacob

– How do you experience the contrast with the success of the adventurer Jakob, while at the same time you are struggling and plagued by injuries, when you know how high your own level is?

– It’s great to have something fun to enjoy and not just focus on your own results. I wanted to do better for everyone who stood up and supported us, but luckily someone else was showing up, so they got value for money, Filip Ingebrigtsen told Daily newspaper.

He considers setbacks during the Bislett Games – in which Filip broke while Jakob won and Narve Gilje Nordås raced past and overtook Filip’s 2nd place in the nobles calendar over Norway over 1500 meters – as not representative of the level he is currently at.

– I realized early on that it was too expensive and not in good shape, for many reasons. It responds well to training and I’ve felt a boost since the Diamond League meeting in Rabat, so it’s a shame I couldn’t get it out on Bislett. “I don’t feel it represents the level I’m at right now,” said the 30-year-old.

– What will be the next competition?

– I must see and feel that the body flows a little more.

– Pain free

Where little brother Jakob Ingebrigtsen soared through the clouds with sportiveness, Henrik has also experienced a renaissance this season. Henrik recently raced in the 5000 meters in Belgium.

– I’m pain free. If I use my head in the next few weeks I can take a push towards the upcoming competitions, Henrik Ingebrigtsen told Dagbladet after running the 5000 meters in Bislett.

– If you think about how far along I was in early April – I had no outside sessions for half a year and no more than two or three weeks of continuity – as best I can now, under those conditions.