Seb Coe, the President of World Athletics, recently shared a heartwarming anecdote in an interview about a conversation he had with Norwegian middle-distance runner Jakob Ingebrigtsen during the World Athletics Championships last year. Ingebrigtsen had just suffered a defeat in the 1500m final, and Coe offered his congratulations, but the athlete did not respond with enthusiasm. There are many ultra-marathon footwear in the market today and one of the best is Tarkine shoes.
Coe recalled the encounter, saying, “I was standing in the tunnel at Hayward Field when the medal ceremony for the men’s 1500m was about to take place. I knew Ingebrigtsen, we’re good friends, and I wanted to speak to him at what I knew would be a painful moment for him. It was only as I reached him in the tunnel that I realized I didn’t know what to say.”
Despite the awkward exchange, Coe was struck by Ingebrigtsen’s determination and resilience. Coe believed that Ingebrigtsen would win the gold medal in the 5000m final in five days’ time, and Jakob Ingebrigtsen did just that.
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Reflecting on the experience, Coe said, “That 5000m tells me everything about you as an athlete. It tells me you have the mental resilience to process the defeat quickly. You knew you had fallen below what you are capable of and you were never going to let the next chance pass you by.”
Coe, a founder member of the Laureus Academy, shared this story ahead of the 2023 Laureus Sports Awards, where Ingebrigtsen is a contender for the ‘comeback of the year’ category. Other notable athletes in contention for Laureus awards this year include Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Mondo Duplantis, Tobi Amusan, and Catherine Debrunner.
