This has developed into a drama that we rarely see in Norway in a sporting context.

Because tonight too, the stage is set for a special episode, in which “Team Ingebrigtsen” teams up with “Karsten and Leif” to create entertainment television the likes of which we have almost never seen.

This is a night where everyone who isn’t interested in athletics is interested in athletics.

This Wednesday could be the biggest day in Norwegian sports history. Also in terms of sports.

Also because new elements have appeared in exclusive companies, which are actually reserved for our biggest stars.

For Narve Gilje Nordås has gone from elite sporting reticence, where he wondered if he should just give up, to a serious and sensational contender for the world’s best middle distance runner in a special class.

The dispute was, as everyone soon realized, that Nordås got there through the official help of the aforementioned unique club’s former coach.

Former coach. Dad right now.

And the relationship between the two former training partners is, in Nordås’ own words, “non-existent”.

Non-existent elephants

Until this Wednesday, the entire conflict had been almost like a volcanic blanket during the final preparations. Paradoxically, those who treat him with the most dignity are the main characters themselves. Jakob Ingebrigtsen refused to discuss the matter.

“My biggest challenge? To cross the finish line first”, as he gracefully fends off anyone nearby who dares to suggest conflict to him.

Narve Gilje Nordås, for his part, refers to the situation with a more subtle degree of clarity.

“There is no elephant in the room”, as he himself put it after arriving in Budapest.

He was, in a way, right. It’s not an elephant, it’s a small herd.

There is so much unsaid in this conflict that no one can help but be involved in what is happening anywhere else than on the tartan deck on the banks of the Danube in the middle of the Hungarian capital.

But until tonight all the elephants were running in the same direction for once.

The top speed of an elephant is also 40 km/hour. Slightly below what Usain Bolt has at his most extreme.

In 2023, it will be Norwegian athletes who will surpass that limit.

Poisonous

Because where many people think – or feared – that Gjert Ingebrigtsen should contribute to the increased level of tension following the denial of so-called accreditation by the athletics association, is so far wrong. Luckily.

The only thing that came close was a very subtle Instagram post, in which Ingebrigtsen’s father quoted also talked a lot about Britney Spears and her old hit song “Oops, I did it again.”

In case anyone has forgotten, former coach Jakob Ingebrigtsen was indeed present in Budapest. Even without accreditation.

Norway has a quota of 11 personal trainers. By comparison, more than England have, with a squad twice as big. But there was no room for the coach of one of our few medal hopes.

The cause is of course the much-discussed internal conflict in the Ingebrigtsen family.

While no one knows or should know the details, everyone sees one of the consequences here in Budapest. In the form of a duel with an emotional nuance that is almost absurd.

Those who are silent

And this is a situation that Norwegian athletics must avoid. The consideration that he hopes to win two WC gold medals exceeds all principles.

Which could be maintained. If only those who were supposed to defend him did so. But neither General Secretary Kjetil Hildeskor nor Athletics President Anne Farseth, who said the decision was made based on an overall assessment, wanted to take due responsibility in explaining priorities and instead pushed sports manager Erlend Slokvik ahead of them.

Also here in Budapest.

But on Wednesday, sports managers can also focus on the tasks that their position says must be prioritized.

In a period of approximately 35 minutes, 45 seconds and about 80 hundredths, we can get two of the greatest contributions in the history of Norwegian sports.

Because if Norway is on paper the favorite in the 1500 meters and 400 meters hurdles, at the same time there are two stars who want revenge, which is a possible situation and hopefully can be exploited to gain further motivation.

Half an hour back

Jakob Ingebrigtsen has been the world’s best 1,500 meter runner in the special class since he won an Olympic long-distance gold medal in 2021. But he does not have a World Cup gold medal in the long-distance class. Karsten Warholm has two WC gold medals in the 400 meter hurdles. But she lost the world title to Brazilian Alison dos Santos in Eugene last year – after a long period of injury problems. Now neither Warholm nor the always taciturn trainer Alnes could hide that sunbathing was at a level he had never experienced before.

Therefore, the whole world of athletics is looking forward to a big fight against dos Santos and American Rai Benjamin. And the dream saw the three of them looking the same on the run at around 21.50 local time.

Only a few. Because most likely this will end with a new world record.

Hopefully it stays Norwegian.

And can gild the second toilet in one night. We have never won the 1500 meters. Now suddenly we have two people who can actually do it.

And at the same time we have to advance one verse in the children’s song.

Which tells the story of two elephants who come marching through the smooth swirls of this spider.

Three elephants came marching this Wednesday evening.

And there is no doubt that the path is very interesting.