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SportsJakob Ingebrigtsen to return at European Championships in 5,000m, skipping 1,500m defense
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Double Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen announced his return to competition in the 5,000 meters at the European Championships in Birmingham on August 10, following surgery on his left Achilles tendon earlier this year. The 25-year-old Norwegian, who is the defending champion in the event, confirmed his participation via Instagram, stating that training has been going well and he sees no reason not to compete. Notably, Ingebrigtsen will not defend his title in the 1,500 meters, a distance where he is a three-time European champion, as his name has been removed from the entry list. The Achilles issue is believed to have contributed to his poor performance at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, where he failed to advance past the first round in the 1,500 meters and finished 10th in the 5,000 meters.
Source report
Double Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen confirmed on Tuesday his participation in the 5,000 meters at the European Championships in Birmingham. The event in August will mark his return to competition following surgery on his left Achilles tendon.
"What better way to return than at the European Championships, where I have so many golden memories? I will line up in the 5,000 meters on August 10," Ingebrigtsen revealed on Instagram.
The 25-year-old Norwegian is a two-time world champion in the 5,000 meters (2022 and 2023), Olympic champion in the 1,500 meters at Tokyo 2020, and Olympic champion in the 5,000 meters at Paris 2024. He has been intensifying his training after undergoing surgery earlier this year to clean scar tissue in the protective sheath around the tendon.
No Mention of 1,500 Meters
In his post, Ingebrigtsen made no mention of the 1,500 meters — a distance in which he is a three-time European champion, alongside his three titles in the 5,000 meters (Berlin 2018, Munich 2022, and Rome 2024). It has already been confirmed that he will not run that event, as his name was "scratched" from the Road to Birmingham platform.
"I am healthy, training has been going well, and after discussing with my team, we came to the conclusion that there is no reason not to compete," Ingebrigtsen added. "Those who have seen me compete over the years know that competition is what drives me. If you wait for the perfect preparation, the perfect conditions, the perfect moment, you will spend your whole life waiting."
Background on Injury
The Achilles tendon problem is believed to have been behind the Nordic athlete's poor performance at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, where he did not advance past the first round in the 1,500 meters and finished 10th in the 5,000 meters.
Source
RecordWestern
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Jakob Ingebrigtsen to Return from Injury at European Championships in 5,000 Meters