By Mitch Phillips
TOKYO (Reuters) - Norwegian former Olympic 1,500 metres champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen failed to advance to the world championship semi-finals on Sunday after trailing in eighth in his heat on the back of an injury-hit preparation.
Ingebrigtsen, beaten into silver in the last two world finals, never looked his normal confident self after struggling to overcome an Achilles injury and showed unusual signs of stress in his face as he worked his way through from the back in the last of four
heats.
However, as the pack surged in the final straight of the track where he won his Olympic gold in 2021, he was unable to respond as only the first six progressed.
"It's a first-time experience that I haven't got to the next round," Ingebrigtsen said. "Of course, it's very disappointing but at the same time it is a reality check. This is an event that's very competitive. You need to prepare your best and of course, I'm not there."
Ingebrigtsen had spoken about his sub-optimal preparation coming into the championships but still hopes to challenge for a third successive world 5,000m title. The heats for that are on Friday.
"I think I'm probably closer for the 5000m right now," he said. "I'll recover and have a couple of good days until I go again and try again. Everything is a test. I was trying to do my best to advance to the semi-final but it was terrible. You have to start and you have to try."
The two fastest men over 1,500m this year also missed out. France's Azzeddine Habz finished seventh in the first heat while Kenyan Phanuel Kipkosgei Koech tripped in the last, though he will hope for a reinstatement by the organisers.
Britain's Josh Kerr and Jake Wightman, winners of the last two world titles in almost identical races as they surged past Ingebrigtsen 200 metres out, both safely advanced.
"I am coming here as someone who's done it before and I am coming to do it again," said Kerr.
Cole Hocker, who slipped past Ingebrigtsen and Kerr to claim a surprise gold at last year's Olympics, went through, as did Kenya's former champion Timothy Cheruiyot, who took silver in Tokyo in the 2021 Olympic final. Norway's hopes now sit with Narve Gilje Nordas, who was the fastest qualifier in 3:35.90 as he won the first heat.
However, it was a disappointing day for promising Australian teenager Cameron Myers, who has taken down some of Ingebrigtsen's age-group records in recent years. He found himself boxed, bumped and bruised and finished eighth in his heat.
The semi-finals will take place on Monday with the final closing out Wednesday night's session.
(Reporting by Mitch Phillips; Editing by William Mallard and Shri Navaratnam)
