Norway’s top athletes in track and field events traveled home from the World Championships in Japan last week without a single medal. It was the first time in 10 years that not even stars like Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Karsten Warholm managed to win.

Some media outlets branded it as a “fiasco” for Norway, but the athletes themselves weren’t as gloomy despite injuries and other personal drama. “This is a fantastic opportunity for me and everyone else to examine what weaknesses we have that aren’t always so visible when everything goes right and we win,” Ingebrigtsen told Norwegian Broadasting (NRK). He had arguably the most challenging run-up to the World Championships, after court action against his father and former coach and injury.

Others were reminded that Norway is still best known for its proficiency on the ski slopes and trails, not on track and field. “We are still a small country, but we are still one of the best countries in most internationall championships and have had enormous development,” he said. “It was just a question of time before we ran into some trouble and had a little downturn.”

NewsinEnglish.no staff