Ingebrigtsen Targets 1500, Drops 5000 From Tokyo Schedule

Tokyo, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Jul, 2021 ) :Two-time European champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen will only run the 1,500m at the Tokyo Olympics after scrapping plans to double up in the 5,000m, the Norwegian Athletics Federation said Wednesday.

A statement said the 20-year-old middle distance runner, the 2018 European champion over the 1,500m and 5,000m, was dropping the longer distance for scheduling reasons.

"Jakob Ingebrigtsen has decided that 1500 meter will be his only event in @Tokyo2020," the federation wrote on Twitter.

"The time schedule makes it difficult to combine 1500m and 5000m and he has chosen the 1500m." Ingebrigtsen has the fastest time in the world this year over 5,000m, clocking 12min 48.45 at a meeting in Rome on June 21. He is only the third fastest this year over the 1,500.

To double up in Tokyo, Ingebrigtsen would have needed to run the 1,500m heats on August 3, a few hours before the 5,000m heats.

He would then have faced a gruelling three races in three days between August 5-7.