Paris, France: Double Olympic gold medallist Jakob Ingebrigtsen said he will be sidelined after undergoing surgery on a long-standing Achilles injury.
“Those of you who have followed over the past couple of years will know I’ve been struggling with my Achilles,” the 1,500m Tokyo Olympic champion said on social media.
“Around 2 weeks ago, the Achilles flared up again and we finally took the decision to travel to America for surgery.”
In 2023, Ingebrigtsen missed out on the winter season due to the problem in order to prepare for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, where he won 5,000m gold.
Last season, the Norwegian continued to struggle with his Achilles and was knocked out in the heats of the 1,500m at the Tokyo world championships and finished 10th in the 5,000m.
“This is of course not something to be taken lightly but absolutely the right thing for the longevity of my career,” the 25-year-old said of the decision.
Ingebrigtsen said the operation went “very smoothly” and that he now has a “clear path of recovery”, but did not specify how long he would be out for.
