The 21-year-old runner announced the color when he arrived in France for his big comeback.

He kept his word by erasing the Ethiopian Samuel Tefera from the tablets (3 min 31 sec 04 in February 2019), also aligned in this unmissable event of the winter season, but unable to keep up with the infernal pace imposed by the Olympic champion from the distance.

Tefera held on until the last 250 meters before Ingebrigtsen broke away inexorably to claim the first world record of his career, helped by the light guidance at the edge of the track.

This year 2022, marked by the Eugene Worlds (July 15-24), is therefore off to a flying start for Ingebrigtsen who could very well threaten the outdoor time of Moroccan legend Hicham El Guerrouj next summer (3 min 26 sec ), 24 years old.

The Norwegian, who burst into the face of the athletics planet in 2018 by achieving the 1500m-5000m double at the Berlin Euro at only 18 years old, thus pushes the limits of his discipline with each outing.

And the season has only just begun.

"I basically wanted to do the best time possible but breaking a world record is a dream come true so I'm very happy. It's my first so I'll remember this evening for a very long time and I hope that in the future I will beat others", launched the Norwegian, who risks being untouchable at the Indoor World Championships from March 18 to 20 in Belgrade.

- "A race of the sick" -

The other times of the meeting were not up to the breathtaking performance of Ingebrigtsen.

On 60 m, the Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs logically won in 6 sec 50, which left him hungry.

"I'm a little disappointed with the time, I still need more practice but I feel like I still have some under the sole. I'm still happy to have won," said the Italian, who tries to take advantage of indoor competitions to work on its implementation in view of the major summer events.

The 60m hurdles was largely dominated by Grant Holloway.

The American, beaten by the Tokyo Olympics (2nd) whom he had nevertheless approached in the skin of the 2nd performer in history over 110 m hurdles (12 sec 81), won in 7 sec 35, six hundredths of his world record (7 sec 29).

"Technically it was good even if there are always small things that we can improve. But I only arrived here two days before the race and I set another very good time so I'm satisfied “, explained the American.

Holloway will be almost impossible to pick up at the Indoor Worlds but the Frenchman Pascal Martinot-Lagarde, 2nd in Liévin (7 sec 46), is gaining momentum and will be a serious candidate for the podium as usual.

“It was a sick race, appreciated the European 110m hurdles champion who is coming out of a year 2021 marred by injuries. I have been waiting for this meeting for a very long time to confront myself with the best in the world, it's done and it's been a good rehearsal before the Worlds. I haven't said my last word. I'm ambitious."

© 2022 AFP