The Norwegian long-distance runner is going under the knife to solve a persistent problem that has sunk his 2025 season.
Conspiracy theorists who recently circulated online speculation that Jakob Ingebrigtsen had re-injured themselves have been proven right as the Olympic 5000m champion announced on Friday (February 6) that he had undergone surgery in the US this week.
Online athletics fans suggested she cut camp short in January, her posts on YouTube and Instagram have been relatively quiet, and recent workouts have been thought to be mostly on the elliptical machine.
Ingebrigtsen struggled with Achilles problems last year, and after reaching the world 1500m final in Tokyo, he finished 10th in the world 5000m final, four seconds behind winner Cole Hawker of the USA.
The first part of his winter training is believed to have gone well, but his left Achilles flared up in January and he opted for surgery.
“Those of you who have been following along for the past few years will know that I’ve been struggling with my achilles,” she wrote on Instagram. “A persistent and very specific injury that forced me to miss a lot of training and racing.
“About two weeks ago the Achilles flared up again and we finally made the decision to go to America for surgery. It’s certainly not something to take lightly, but it’s absolutely the right thing to do for the longevity of my career.
“The surgery went very smoothly and I’m relieved to have a clear recovery path back to the starting line after many months of uncertainty.
“Running isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, but injuries are part of sport and setbacks are part of life. I’m thankful to have a great team and support system around me.”
He added on YouTube that the surgery was “100 percent necessary” to return to full fitness in the future, and he ended his Instagram post by quoting the famous Terminator line: “I’ll be back.”
However, his competitive return is unlikely to come in 2026. Instead, the operation is likely to target the 2027 World Championships in Beijing and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
It can take about nine months to a year to get back to full fitness after Achilles surgery. Ingebrigtsen says the surgery went well, but she was also photographed wearing boots and in a wheelchair.
He added on YouTube that the Achilles itself isn’t too bad, but the problem is the sheath around it and the accompanying scar tissue. “The scar tissue has now been removed,” he said on YouTube, “and the surgery itself wasn’t that big, so the recovery time is supposed to be relatively short, so hopefully I won’t be out for too long… and it’s not as bad as it looks.”
The surgery comes after a Guardian interview two weeks ago where he said: “Achilles is very good. But because of the last few years, I am a little more cautious. So I’m prioritizing my fitness heading into the outdoor season.
“I’ll probably start in June at the Bislett Games. But my goals are to win double gold at the European Championships, win the Diamond League final and have one good world record attempt in the 1500m, the mile and also the 5000m.”
The 25-year-old won the Olympic 1500m title in 2021, the Olympic 5000m in 2024 and the world 5000m gold in 2022 and 2023. He also won many European titles, world indoor crowns and broke various world records, although he wanted to attack this record of Hicham milliee and El-Guerro. the year.
