Trial that gripped Norway has ripped track and field's most famous family apart

The moment that ripped apart track and field's most successful and eccentric family came in January 2022, after the 15-year-old sister of the Tokyo Olympic 1500m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen was grounded by her father after school.

- Sean Ingle

At that point, Jakob and his brothers Filip and Henrik, were all European, world or Olympic champions, having trained like professionals since before they were teenagers. They were also major TV stars in Norway thanks to the docuseries Team Ingebrigtsen, where they appeared alongside their coach and father, Gjert.

Gjert outlined his philosophy early in series one. "I don't want to be an angry man, I want to be a father," he said. "But if being an angry man brings them their dreams I will tolerate what I am missing."

But on that day in 2022, Gjert's anger went too far. It led to him striking his daughter with a wet towel, his sons to ditch and denounce him, and to a courthouse in Sandnes, Norway where he stood trial for physically and mentally abusing Jakob and Ingrid.

Amid tense court scenes in March this year, Gjert explained what he felt had happened. "She's really angry and says: 'I fucking don't want to be in this prison of yours any more,' while holding her index finger at me.

"I pull the towel against her finger twice in quick succession. She then says: 'What the hell are you doing, are you hitting me?' To which I reply: 'I didn't hit you."