Everything is painful and difficult – for everyone involved – after charges of domestic violence were brought against the 58-year-old athletics coach. What legal consequences the case ends up having, we will probably have to wait until the autumn to find out.
But what consequences is it reasonable or unreasonable that the case gets before that time?
The situation must be a huge dilemma for Narve Gilje Nordås, who is trained by Gjert and is a competitor of Jakob and Filip Ingebrigtsen.
Should he dump the coach because an indictment has been brought? Or is it right to continue the collaboration as long as there is no judgment?
Regardless of which position he takes, there are heavy counter-arguments.
He may come to the conclusion that such a serious indictment must immediately have consequences for the collaboration. The Olympic summit was quick to state that they do not grant Olympic accreditation to a person charged in such a case. The rationale is that the focus “in any case is on contributing to optimal preparation for the athletes”. But how does this turn out for Gilje Nordås?
So far, the runner has made a clear choice to stay by the coach’s side. The question is whether that will change now.
It is a point that the indictment is based on the prosecution having assessed the evidence and concluded that there is a basis for bringing it before the court. The content of the indictment is also very serious.
The burden on which of the siblings the case concerns is difficult for outsiders to understand. This also affects many people around. Regardless of how the legal process proceeds, there is every reason to empathize with how hard this must be, also for the three runner brothers.
It is a heavy argument to shield Jakob Ingebrigtsen from getting close to his father during the sporting highlight of the season.
For many, this series of arguments will be more than enough to conclude that Gjert Ingebrigtsen should stay away until the case against him is decided.
Narve Gilje Nordås can also choose to wear legally principled glasses. Then the matter becomes a little more demanding than it may appear at first glance.
In celebratory speeches about the rule of law, it is repeatedly emphasized that one is “innocent until proven guilty”. But how strong is this when put to the test?
It is part of the picture that Gjert Ingebrigtsen vehemently denies guilt. Should he then be refused to complete his job in the lead up to the Olympics?
In the middle of this crossfire, where there is extreme nervousness around Narve, he will make his season debut in Spain on Tuesday evening. There he meets Filip Ingebrigtsen, after he was registered for the 1,500 meters the day after the indictment.
It can’t be easy to stay focused with the pressure around him.
One of the questions is how his own preparations are affected by a potential breach. He has made extreme progress in the last year with Gjert as coach, but at the same time there has been a lot of noise.
If Gilje Nordås chooses to continue the collaboration, it will at least be important to ensure enough distance between father Ingebrigtsen and the sons.
Whatever conclusion he arrives at, it will be perceived as problematic.
Perhaps it is most likely that Narve Gilje Nordås ends up parting ways with Gjert Ingebrigtsen.
But the choice is not as obvious as some would like it to be – if you believe that one of the most important principles of the legal society should not just be words.
Tuesday night broadcast VGTV the athletics meet where Narve Gilje Nordås runs the 1500 metres. So does Filip Ingebrigtsen. The start is 21.05:
