Gjert Ingebrigtsen Athlete Slams Norway and World Athletics Over Denied Accreditation at World Championships

Portuguese athlete José Carlos Pinto has accused World Athletics of discrimination after the governing body denied accreditation to his coach, Gjert Ingebrigtsen, for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

Pinto claims the decision strips him and fellow athletes Narve Gilje Nordås and Kieran Lumb of their shared coaching support. Speaking to Nettavisen, Pinto questioned why the size of the arena should be a limiting factor in the decision. “I feel discriminated because I do not get to have my coach here,” he told the outlet.

Conflicting accounts over accreditation

The dispute has devolved into a series of contradictions between the athlete, his national federation, and the international governing body. Pinto told Nettavisen he contacted the Portuguese federation to ensure his coach’s presence, only to be told that World Athletics held the final authority.

World Athletics disputed this account. In a statement provided to Nettavisen late Sunday local time, the organization claimed they never received an accreditation application for Gjert Ingebrigtsen from any federation.

The Portuguese federation remained vague, stating via email to Nettavisen that World Athletics is the only entity responsible for issuing accreditations.

Internal selection and federation denials

The narrative shifts when looking at previous reports. In late August, Stavanger Aftenblad reported that the Portuguese federation had already informed the newspaper that Ingebrigtsen would not receive accreditation. The federation told that outlet the selection of technical support staff followed internally approved criteria, and the coach was simply not among those selected.

The Norwegian federation similarly declined to provide Ingebrigtsen with accreditation for the Tokyo championships, according to Nettavisen.

Legal history and Viking Athletics

Ingebrigtsen leads the Viking Athletics training group. While his international athletes have praised his abilities, he has faced intense public scrutiny following a legal case earlier this year. Nettavisen reports that while he was acquitted of domestic abuse, he received a 15-day suspended sentence for hitting his daughter with a wet towel.

Because of the accreditation failure, Ingebrigtsen was forced to follow the championships from home.

Mixed results on the Tokyo track

The off-track turmoil coincides with varying performances from Ingebrigtsen’s athletes. José Carlos Pinto and Narve Gilje Nordås both successfully qualified for the 1500-meter semifinals, scheduled for Monday at 14:30 Norwegian time.

The results were not universal. Jakob Asserson Ingebrigtsen, a favorite in the field, was eliminated in the heats. Nettavisen attributed the exit to a prolonged injury and uncertainty regarding his participation in the event.

The World Athletics Championships in Tokyo began Saturday and run through September 21.