We bumped into Gjert on our way into the stadium and he had some great lines.
Gjert Ingebrigtsen: “If you can't be a front runner, you can't win anything”
Ingebrigtsen was denied a coaching credential in Glasgow by the Norwegian federation and had to watch Friday’s race from the stands. He feels good about where Nordas is at but admitted they would have to see if Nordas’ kick is good enough right now to earn a medal.
Gjert said he thinks its very important for Nordas to get used to racing at this level as last year was his first at the top level of the circuit. “My own boys, they are born with self confidence like this. Not all people are that confident in racing. So he needs to have more races to be more confident,” said Gjert.
While we talked to Gjert before the first round, we asked him how he thought the final would play out tactically. If Jakob was in the race, everyone knows it would be fast but might it be a classic tactical 1500?
Gjert responded by saying, “I normally advise my athletes to be confident enough to run races - to be a front runner. If you can't be a front runner, you can't win anything. So you need to have the confidence to be to go to the front and to do races from the front and to be strong enough and confident enough to do that. You can always succeed in being in front but you have to be confident enough to do it. So I hope that will now those will go in that direction and be confident enough to go to the front.