Jakob Ingebrigtsen, 18, to take on ambitious double at Worlds

18-year-old Jakob Ingebrigtsen is fresh off a Norwegian national 5,000m record of 13:02.03, and has announced that he plans to double at the upcoming World Championships in Doha.

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The runner has proved before that he’s capable of doubling at a championship, as we saw last August, when he won both the 1,500m and 5,000m at the European Championships, becoming the youngest runner ever to do so.

The timing of the events works out well, as the 5,000m heats run on the first day of competition, with the subsequent heats and finals being spaced out by several days. Ingebrigtsen has faced the biggest names in track and field this season and fared extremely well. This double at Worlds will be another good test for the young runner.

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This year’s World Championship will be Ingebrigtsen’s first, therefore, his first time facing the new kind of pressure that comes with a World Championship performance.

The U20 world record in the 5,000m is a shocking 12:43, and likely out of Ingebrigtsen’s grasp at this point. But the U20 1,500m world record of 3:28.81 is only two seconds faster than his current personal best, and something that could be his, in the right race. The 18-year-old already holds the U20 indoor 1,500m record.

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