Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s “superhuman” act has been called out for what it is — deliciously disrespectful.

The reigning 1500m gold medallist toyed with the field in his heat at the Stade de France, barely getting out of first gear on his way into the semi-finals.

Even at the start line, the Norwegian was the only runner to stand upright while his competitors braced for the start gun to sound. Much more shocking was the sight of the 23-year-old plodding out of the blocks and giving up 20m on the rest of the field just 100m into the race.

As the race progressed Ingebrigtsen continued to sit at the back of the pack, even with the first two laps of the race unfolding at a snail's pace with nobody willing to push hard at the front of the field. With 300m to run, Ingebrigtsen was still with the back markers before finally waking up.

He swallowed the field almost immediately — despite running three wide around the outside of the track. After 100m of real effort, he turned the jets off with 50m still to run, taking a look over his shoulder just to make sure he finished in the top six of the race — to go straight through to the semi-finals.

The whole race from start to end shocked the TV commentators on Eurosport.

“He’s so relaxed. He lets the field charge off here. He’s way down. Maybe he’s got off a bit too relaxed,” one said as Ingebrigtsen trailed the field. “What a bizarre shot that is. He is almost superhuman. If anyone can do it, it’s him.”

Another was at a loss to explain Ingebrigtsen’s tactics with 300m to go. “He’s almost dawdling at the back. That is almost bordering on arrogance. He’s just sitting there,” he said.

One athletics analyst’s review of the race has gone viral on TikTok. “Jakob Ingebrigtsen just did the most disrespectful thing to his opponents in the 1500m heats,” he said. “He doesn’t even look like he’s trying. There’s no reason to do this other than the fact that he can.

“He sits at the back to conserve energy and to avoid the early sprint where runners can fall ... avoiding those risks. But he has no reason to go that far back. He’s just chilling. He knows he’s going to catch them. He knows he’s better than everybody in the race and he can basically do what he wants.

“He’s actually tactically worse than everyone else. He gets himself into bad positions. He just doesn’t care because he knows he’s going to get through.”

With 500m to go the analyst says: “This is where the disrespect really starts. We can see him sitting at the back which is fine, but then he deliberately gets himself into trouble. He’s not at the back anymore and he’s boxed in.

“There’s no reason for him to want to do this, other than the fact he wants to show that he can do this. It’s either a crazy move or just bad tactics.”

Even with 75m to go, Ingebrigtsen was in a fight for a spot in the top six — with only the first six runners progressing straight to the semi-finals. With a snap of his fingers, he moved up in front of the middle runners while the rest of his competitors fell away. Third position was all he needed.

His first test will come in Monday’s semi-finals where he will be measured against world champion Josh Kerr for the first time.

Ingebrigtsen will be pinning his hopes on there being no repeat of the last two world championship finals. In Eugene in 2022 and then in Budapest last year, the Norwegian was beaten down the home stretch by Britons, Jake Wightman and Kerr respectively.

Wightman is out of the Olympics with an injury, leaving Kerr to have Ingebrigtsen in his crosshairs even though their head-to-head record in 1500m finals stands at 8-1 in favour of the Norwegian.

It was Kerr who beat Ingebrigtsen the last time they clashed in the mile at the Diamond League meeting in Eugene in May. Since then, Ingebrigtsen has been unbeaten, winning the Diamond League 1500m on home soil in Oslo, European 1500m and 5000m titles in Rome, a Norwegian championships double, and that 1500m in Monaco.

“I think it’s healthy for the event and the sport,” Kerr said of his rivalry with the Norwegian. “I don’t mind about the rivalry. But this is my job, my job’s to be out here and win medals. I am lucky that I have a chance to be here and compete. People are welcome to talk about it.”

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said the 1500m had “added piquancy because this is probably not a friendship made in heaven”. “That doesn’t bother me either. We know we want that kind of thing in the sport. So it really could be a race for the ages,” Coe said.

Should Ingebrigtsen claim back-to-back titles, he would be just the second man after Coe in 1980 and 1984 to win two Olympic 1500m golds.

Ingebrigtsen's Dominance Continues in Semi-Finals

The rivalry between Kerr and Ingebrigtsen reached new heights in the semi-finals, with both athletes qualifying for the final, but not without a show of dominance from Ingebrigtsen.

The Norwegian, who had already shocked viewers with his tactics in the heats, continued his nonchalant approach in the semi-finals, leading from the front but never appearing to push himself.

Kerr, however, was determined to keep pace, trailing Ingebrigtsen closely throughout the race. The two athletes were seen eyeing each other in the final stretch, with Ingebrigtsen eventually crossing the finish line just 0.08 seconds ahead of Kerr.

Kerr, though clearly disappointed at losing again to Ingebrigtsen, remained confident and focused on the final. “They should be expecting one of the most vicious and hardest 1500 metres this sport has seen for a very long time,” Kerr said. “I am ready to go after it. I think we all are. There has been a lot of talk and words over the last 12 months, even two years. I am looking to settle that on Tuesday and give it my best performance. I will show that in the final.”

The Final Showdown

The final of the men’s 1500m will be a showdown between two of the greatest middle-distance runners in the world, with Ingebrigtsen and Kerr set to clash once again on the world stage.

Ingebrigtsen’s tactics have been controversial, but he has shown that he is willing to do whatever it takes to win. Kerr, on the other hand, is known for his tenacity and his ability to race smart.

The final will be a test of both athletes’ physical and mental strength, as they battle for Olympic glory in front of a global audience. It is a race that promises to be both exciting and unpredictable, with the potential to be one of the most memorable moments of the Paris Olympics.

Ingebrigtsen’s disrespect, whether deliberate or not, has added a layer of intrigue to this rivalry. Whether he wins or loses, the world will be watching to see how this fascinating story unfolds. Will he continue his unconventional tactics or adopt a more conventional approach? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure, this final will be a must-watch event.