Gjert Ingebrigtsen, the father and former coach of 1500m Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen, has been charged with one count of physical abuse against a family member by Norwegian authorities.

Here’s What You Need To Know

– In October 2023, brothers Henrik, Filip and Jakob Ingebrigtsen came forward with claims of physical violence and abusive behavior by their father and former coach. Gjert denied all the allegations. They wrote of their experiences for the Norwegian website VG.

– After months of an investigation by Norwegian authorities and the public prosecutor’s office, Gjert has been charged with hitting one of his younger children with a wet towel in January 2022. According to VG, the victim is not believed to be one of the three brothers but one of the younger siblings. There are seven Ingebrigtsen siblings.

– The incident reportedly took place in January 2022. Jakob, Filip and Henrik parted ways with Gjert as their coach shortly after. The family’s success on the track was publicly chronicled from 2016 to 2021 through the TV show “Team Ingebrigtsen” by NRK. The allegations of abuse reportedly cover a period from 2018 to 2022. Gjert “allegedly manhandled, insulted, threatened and hit the child in the face with his hand or with a towel”, according to the Agence France Presse.

– The public prosecutor dropped five other charges against Gjert due to insufficient evidence. One other charge was considered outdated. According to lawyer Mette Yvonne Larsen, who represents five of the Ingebrigsten siblings, the brothers could appeal one of the dropped charges.

– Gjert has denied all of the allegations. His lawyer told the AFP: “As far as the dismissed cases, we agree that there is no evidence to prove that Ingebrigtsen committed any wrongdoing. For the rest, Ingebrigtsen disputes the description of the facts on which the indictment is based -- and he therefore does not admit his guilt.”

– The Associated Press reports Gjert could face up to six years in prison if found guilty. No trial date has been set.

– On Monday, the Norwegian Olympic Committee also shared that Gjert will not be granted accreditation for the Paris Olympics to coach Narve Gilje Nordås, who earned a bronze medal in the 1500m at last summer’s World Championships in Budapest. Gjert was denied a coaching pass at last year’s Bislett Games (the Oslo Diamond League) and for the World Championships in Budapest.

What’s the latest with the brothers?

– The brothers have not publicly commented on the charges. After their op-ed in October, they asked for privacy as a spokesman told the AP they "must be allowed to live a sporting life in public without it interfering with their private life."

– Jakob has yet to open up his 2024 racing season as he is coming off an Achilles injury that forced him to miss the indoor season. He has spent the past few weeks training in Flagstaff, Arizona. Last month, he was announced as one of the headliners for the Prefontaine Classic’s Bowerman Mile on May 25th. Last year, he ran 3:43.73 for the third-fastest mile in history. Jakob also plans to race at the European Championships in June.

– Amazon is following the Ingebrigtsen brothers in 2024 to chronicle their season leading up to the Paris Olympics.