Brothers Ingebrigtsen, Jakob, Henrik y Filipthey accused their father of “physical violence” and “aggressive and controlling” treatment, Donewith whom they have not had any relationship for two years, something that their father denies, describing his children’s statements as “baseless.”
In a letter sent to the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang, the Ingebrigtsen brothers relate the painful sensation they are experiencing due to the lack of relationship with their father, whom they accuse of the harsh upbringing they received and the treatment he had with them, trying to squeeze the most out of them to the point of reach “physical violence” both personally and professionally as athletes.
The bad relationship was evident in the last World Cup in Budapest, in which Jakob even vetoed his father in the concentration of the Norwegian team, in which his father was there as coach of his compatriot and rival. Narve Gilje Nordasforcing them both to stay in another establishment.
“Writing now what we are about to write hurts, in many ways. It hurts because it affects a person who has meant a lot to us and our career. We have grown up with a father who has been very aggressive and controlling and who has used violence and threats as part of their education,” they declare.
“We still feel the discomfort and fear that has been with us since childhood. We have lived with it and, in adulthood, we have moved on. At least that’s what we thought. Looking back, we realize that it was naive. Two years ago For years, the same attacks and physical punishments occurred again and that was the last straw. The situation we experienced in the family was unbearable and we should have stopped sooner. The pressure we felt has been inhuman. We ran out of energy and the joy of playing sports is gone,” they confess.