- John Steffensen has entered the Ingebrigsten-Kerr rivalry
- The stars of the 1,500 metres will compete in Paris
- Watch every moment, every medal and every event of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games live, ad-free and on-demand in 4K on Stan Sport.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen has been accused of arrogance during the Paris Olympics.
But John Steffensen loves what he sees from the Norwegian long-distance running ace.
Ingebrigtsen made her stance clear before she even reached the start line in France, launching an attack on arch-rival Josh Kerr, claiming the British world champion “never races”.
“It’s hard to talk about him as a rival when he’s never there,” said the 23-year-old. “He’s known as the Brit who never races. I try to do as many races as I can and I want to be here to entertain.”
Then, in the 1,500m heat, he barely managed to get out of second gear. The Norwegian did not bother to prepare for the starting gun and then let his rivals spread out 20m ahead of him from the start before moving into the outside lanes towards the finish line.
Critics have branded Ingebrigtsen’s approach “disrespectful” and “arrogant” but Athens silver medallist Steffensen believes the Norwegian and his rivalry with Kerr is brilliant for the sport.
“I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it,” Stan Sport ambassador Jeffersen told Daily Mail Australia. “I love Josh Kerr too. This is what sport needs.
‘There is no arrogance in this. After all, Jakob Ingebrigtesen, at 16, has shown why he is the best in the world and that he deserves to compete and behave as he sees fit to get the best out of himself.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen has been encouraged to continue his “arrogant” actions
The Norwegian athletics ace has lit the fuse in his war of words with Josh Kerr
“We’ve seen that with Josh Kerr when he runs. Josh gives as much as he gets and I love that about Josh as well.”
Steffensen said the behaviour of the two great rivals is a perfect example for young aspirants.
‘These guys are outspoken. They put their name on the line. They claim what they want to achieve, they say what they want to do.
‘This is what I love to encourage kids to do: come out of the shadows and hide how good you feel, step up and proclaim what you feel, say it. Be pioneers.
“There’s a reason Josh Kerr is a world champion, because he does that and thinks that way. There’s a reason Jakob Ingebrigtsen will go down in history as one of the best distance runners in the world.
“I think this conservatism that people want, and they still want great performances, is a stretch and I think at the end of the day, I’m asking these athletes to entertain me. If you’re asking me if these two guys are entertaining, oh, yes they are.”
The 41-year-old went so far as to suggest that almost all athletes share the same vision of their main rival, but do not wish to express it publicly.
But Australian athletics legend John Steffensen says rivalry is just what the sport needs.
He added that all athletes share the same attitude towards their rivals.
“Ninety-nine percent of athletes are thinking about it, now we have to start saying it and showing it,” he said.
“You can’t aspire to be the best in the world and not think about it. We ask them to hide it because, for some reason, it doesn’t fit with our social narrative of life.
‘We’re looking at a coliseum, we’re looking at the best athletes in the world going head to head and there’s always going to be a level of competitiveness and it shows up in different ways.
“It’s about embracing all the ways an athlete shows how they compete.”
Ingebrigtsen and Kerr will meet in the men’s 1500m semi-final on Sunday evening in Paris.
Watch every moment, every medal and every event of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games live, ad-free and on-demand in 4K on Stan Sport.