Jakob Ingebrigtsen breaks first senior 1,500m world record

Having turned 21 last September, it’s a first senior world record for Ingebrigtsen

Jakob Ingebrigtsen is now the first athlete ever to break 3:31 indoors. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
Jakob Ingebrigtsen is now the first athlete ever to break 3:31 indoors. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

A first indoor race of the season for Jakob Ingebrigtsen, ending in his first senior world record, and another barrier broken to boot: is there anything the young Norwegian cannot do?

On the latest stop of the World Indoor Athletics Tour in Liévin in northern France, Ingebrigtsen lined up over 1,500 metres - the event he won at the Tokyo Olympics last summer aged only 20 - targeting the world indoor record of 3:31.04 set three years ago by the Ethiopian Samuel Tefera.

Tefera was also in the race to make sure Ingebrigtsen didn’t have it all his own way, only essentially, he did - passing the 1,000m mark in 2:20.19, he kicked away and home from the front to win in 3:30.60.

A second off his previous indoor best and European record of 3:31.80, set on the same track at the same stage last season, Ingebrigtsen left Tefera well in his wake, the Ethiopian second in 3:33.70. Having turned 21 last September, it’s a first senior world record for Ingebrigtsen, also now the first athlete ever to break 3:31 indoors. The 3:30 barrier might go by the end of the indoor season too.

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“Awesome to be back in Lievin, a really nice arena, and always a fast race,” Ingebrigtsen said, the Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais is well regarded as one of the best on the circuit. Of his increasing pace towards the end, he added: “It’s nice for me to speed up at the finish, always a great feeling.”

After clocking his European indoor record of 3:31.80 here last year, Ingebrigtsen went on to enjoy the greatest season of his still burgeoning career, culminating with his Olympic 1,500m gold in a European record of 3:28.32.

It’s also dispelled any doubts about how his recent coaching set-up had changed; his father, Gert, is currently taking a break, with older brother Henrik taking on a more active role in the coaching. Tefera had also won here in 2019, then went on to break the world indoor record just six days later with 3:31.04.

Earlier, Italy's Olympic 100m champions Marcell Jacobs also won the event he took here last year, winning the 60m in 6.50 seconds.

Ian O'Riordan

Ian O'Riordan

Ian O'Riordan is an Irish Times sports journalist writing on athletics