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The Ingebrigtsens are used to living in the spotlight: The Norwegian family of nine includes three sons, Henrik, Filip, and Jakob, who all became professional middle distance runners coached until 2022 by their now-estranged father, Gjert. In particular, the track and field world has marveled at watching the youngest brother, Jakob, become one of the greatest middle distance runners of all time, winning Olympic gold in the 1,500 and 5,000 meters and setting four world records.
While fans have been primarily focused on the family’s accomplishments on the track, more recently events off the oval have taken center stage with the potential abuse case of Gjert—particularly towards Jakob and his younger sister, Ingrid.
The Ingebrigtsen trial, which closed in May with a decision expected mid-June, is complicated, bringing not only coach-athlete relationships to the forefront but also a broken family dynamic. The father maintains his innocence. The prosecution is pushing for a two-and-a-half-year jail term for what it terms a “regime of repeated abuse.”
“It is embarrassing to be a victim of domestic violence,” Jakob said during testimony. “I know what I have experienced with the defendant since I was a little boy, and I have had no motives for lying.”
While the Ingebrigtsen case is unique, particularly since the dynamic is further complicated by a coach/parent relationship, it again raises the specter of why and how abuse happens in running and athletics, how potentially destructive it can be, how to identify it before it goes too far, and what—if anything—can be done to counter it.
“An Ideal Playground” for Abuse
One woman who understands this subject perhaps better than anyone is Charlie Webster. Webster, now 42, was a prodigious track talent from the city of Sheffield in the U.K. who suffered years of sexual abuse at the hands of her running coach and now passionately campaigns for change in sport.
Through keynote speeches and documentaries, she implores stakeholders from organizations, parents, and coaches to think differently about their roles to create healthier environments and avoid the most severe consequences: Two of the girls abused in Webster’s teenage running group later took their own lives.
“This is something I will always live with,” she explains. “Healing and recovery is possible, but it will always be a part of my life, always a factor in relationships, and something my friends and family need to know about. It also took the life of two of my friends, Katie and Georgina—that’s how serious it is. And while we ignore it, it carries on, as we’ve seen happen time and time again.”
The U.S. Center for SafeSport’s annual report, released last June, indicated a significant rise in reported abuse and misconduct cases within American sports. In 2023, the Center received 7,533 reports, marking a 32 percent increase from 2022 and a 2,500 percent increase since its inception in 2017.
Last July, it published its 2024 Athlete Culture and Climate Survey that included responses from 3,762 athletes aged 18 and older across 67 different sports. Among the key findings was that 78 percent of surveyed athletes reported experiencing behaviors related to emotional harm and neglect during their sports involvement.
Why does such abuse continue to happen in elite sport? “It’s an environment that is conducive for abuse because of the power dynamic,” Webster says. “A coach holds so much power, especially over young athletes who pour their hopes and dreams into achieving.”
“When I was competing, I hung off my coach’s every word because he, in my case, knew everything,” Webster continues. “He was the person I looked to for understanding, knowledge and improvement. That is how manipulation and control happens, and only by understanding the dynamic can we help stamp out abuse.”
Webster cannot overstate the potential power a sports coach can wield. “They are able to put you in races and build your training, but it’s so much more. For a lot of young athletes, that person is also the outlet for things going on in school or at home. You end up confiding and sharing so much because you work [together] so closely.”
It’s not just the athlete that can be taken in.
Parents can also place unwavering trust in a coach who helps instill the admirable traits of discipline and work ethic in a developing individual. That “automatic credibility” can go unchecked, and the risk escalates when the athlete becomes isolated from family and friends. Webster says her all-girl group formed a tight-knit squad that would become increasingly closed off.
“It was normalized to the point where my coach didn’t like parents coming to sessions because, of course, we needed to concentrate,” she says. “For someone who is manipulating and grooming, it’s an ideal playground.”
The Ingebrigtsen Trial Illuminates a Flawed System
Webster’s 2023 documentary, Nowhere To Run: Abused By Our Coach, examines her experience at the hands of an abuser. Revisiting the location evoked such a visceral reaction that she vomited. She found that rather than accepting that there was an issue, the organizations in charge became defensive.
“I was only trying to create a safe environment for our sport, a sport that has given me so much, so no child has to go through what I went through.” she explains. “But the systems can be archaic and feel threatened, rather than say: ‘We don’t want these abuses, what can we do to educate and help?’”
Webster believes the system needs to change to stop solely relying on victims to come forward. “Every organization does this. We hear all the time about campaigns saying ‘speak out’. It is important, but how do you expect a traumatized, groomed athlete, confused about what is going on, to come forward?”
“A coach doesn’t just meet an athlete and physically abuse them,” she continues. “They spend years getting them into a position where there’s perfect trust, so the athlete is scared, and feels that if they say anything their entire career and life might be ruined. Grooming gets into your psyche, so you question who you are, and it makes you think you’re doing something wrong.”
And while the particulars of the Ingebrigtsen case are still being decided in court, Jakob’s statement about it being “embarrassing to be a victim,” is a familiar refrain that has a silencing effect.
Meanwhile, the abuse is actually compounded if complaints aren’t taken seriously. “I’ve had thousands of people come to me over the years telling me how they did speak to somebody and were treated as if they were making it up, being emotional, or doing something wrong,” Webster says.
Change is Happening, Slowly
Change is happening, Webster says, but more is needed for people to recognize and act on warning signs. “I’d like to see education tools for young athletes created without corporate jargon, because abuse is hard to spot when done in the guise of sport, often through massage or stretching,” she says. My own story is like a playbook. So many cases have the same patterns of behavior.”
Another step is for federations to work more collaboratively via information sharing to prevent abusive coaches simply moving between sports and clubs.
“Abusers don’t just stop. It’s a pattern of behavior. A lot of the time when an allegation is made they pull away and go to a different sport or different federation. And the majority of the time, a coach will abuse more than one person,” Webster says.
Webster would also like to see more counseling and emotional and mental health support in place, and the creation of environments that feel safe enough for athletes to come forward.
Meanwhile, if we take a step back from sexual abuse and the most egregious cases, is the high-performance model—one with an acute amount of pressure on young athletes—a breeding ground for fractious relationships?
“It is about being your best self, personal records, winning races, and getting to the next level,” Webster says. “There is a lot of pressure there, and it’s important that an athlete can express their emotions. That’s OK, but there is a huge difference between controlling and abusing an athlete and emotions running high. Natural human reaction is normal, but that’s not what emotional abuse is. It’s a repeated pattern of behaviour, which is entirely different.”
Webster describes knowing women whose experiences of bullying led to eating disorders, and she experienced firsthand how overtraining left her squad tired and more vulnerable. “I’m not saying it’s always a sign of abuse, and I’m all for training hard, but we should look for different signs, not just the more obvious ones. Are the athletes tired all the time? Is there a lot of emphasis on the way they look?”
To stop frustration boiling over into bullying, coaching education should also help. Understanding the potential psychological impact of different coaching styles, recognizing how to support an athlete’s mental health, or how the menstrual cycle can affect female athletes, are just a few examples.
Cultivating a Win-Win Dynamic
There’s additional incentive for national federations to cultivate a healthy coaching environment—it helps them retain more potential medal winners.
Webster recalls a psychological experiment from her trauma work where the difficulty of the supposedly simple act of catching a ball varied dramatically depending on whether encouragement or criticism were given.
“In my group, there was so much trauma, but also f****g good athletes!” Webster says. “Imagine what could have happened if my coach had been stopped.”
Webster says that while it wasn’t easy, finally talking about her experiences put her on the road to recovery. “My coach was put in prison when I was 19, We were all separated and kind of sent on our merry way. I was never contacted by my club to offer any support or [by] U.K. Athletics, and there was zero care for any of us, so I buried it for a long time because I didn’t understand it.”
“But I did end up speaking out, and it helped me so much, and helped me understand what happened,” she continues. “It took time, I worked with a psychologist and had nightmares for a long time. Occasionally they creep in now, and it’s normally when I’m stressed or going through a bad time. But the best thing I did was to confront it and comfort my younger self who was in so much pain.”
She believes sport is in a better place now. “We’re still hearing about abuse, so it must still be a problem, but I know some amazing people, including coaches and people working in organizations who are really trying to change it. If you create a safe environment, everything else will follow.”
What To Do if You Suspect Coaching Abuse
USA Track and Field (USATF), in collaboration with the U.S. Center for SafeSport, provides guidelines for reporting and addressing concerns.
1. Recognize the Signs
Abuse can manifest in various forms, including emotional, physical, and sexual misconduct. Be vigilant for behaviors such as bullying, harassment, hazing, grooming, or any inappropriate interactions between coaches and athletes. Understanding these signs is the first step in prevention and intervention.
2. Ensure Immediate Safety
If an athlete is in immediate danger or if you suspect child abuse, contact local law enforcement or child protective services without delay. Mandatory reporters are legally obligated to report such suspicions promptly.
3. Report to the U.S. Center for SafeSport
The U.S. Center for SafeSport has exclusive jurisdiction over certain types of misconduct within the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movement. Reports can be made anonymously here.
4. Report to USATF
In addition to reporting to Safe Sport, notify USATF directly. USATF accepts anonymous reports and will withhold your name upon request, as long as it is lawful to do so. Email: safesport@usatf.org. Phone: 317-713-4688
5. Use RealResponse for Anonymous Reporting
USATF has partnered with RealResponse, a platform that allows members to anonymously report concerns via text message. This tool facilitates real-time, confidential communication between reporters and USATF officials.
6. Document and Support
Try to keep detailed records of any incidents, including dates, times, locations, and individuals involved. Provide this information when making a report to aid in the investigation. Additionally, offer support to the affected athlete, ensuring they feel heard and safe throughout the process.
7. Understand the Process
After a report is filed, the U.S. Center for SafeSport conducts a preliminary inquiry to determine jurisdiction and the validity of the allegations. If warranted, a full investigation ensues, potentially leading to sanctions or other corrective actions.