Jake Wightman 'felt the pressure' as GB captain before 800m win in Poland

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Jake Wightman hopes GB's third place tempts 'big names' to European Team Championships

Jake Wightman admits he "felt the pressure" as captain before winning the 800m as Great Britain finished third at the European Team Championships.

The 26-year-old's own victory was one of three on Sunday as GB secured their first top-three finish since 2013.

But it came after the team exceeded expectations by leading after day one on Saturday.

"I was like, I was chosen as captain, therefore I have got to do the same' so it was nerve-wracking," he admitted.

"I felt the pressure because we had had such a good day on day one. A lot of people were winning events that you wouldn't expect and I think the thing that got us the best points tally was there were so many second and thirds, especially the throwers smashed it as well, Kirsty Law and Chris Bennett, there were loads that ended up doing well.

"But I am pleased with how I ran and just the fact that it played a part in that final points tally and I managed to help put us in a good position is the main thing."

Great Britain could even have won the event had it not been for a failed handover in the final event, the men's 4x400m relay, that allowed Italy to finish second behind hosts Poland.

Wightman's run in in Chorzow marked a continuation of his excellent recent form over both 800m and 1500m, but he will not be running the former at the forthcoming British Championships despite Sunday's latest success at that distance and the event in Manchester doubling up as the Olympic trials.

Wightman was always going to be concentrating on the discipline in which he is currently second in the UK all-time list.

"Just the 1500m this year," he told BBC Scotland. "You would be greedy if you were trying to go for both. It is hard enough to make one team let alone both.

"I feel like this season has gone, so far, as I had hoped, so it is now just about these next four weeks, making sure I sharpen up a little more and am in the best place possible to make the team because it is a great opportunity. And, to have waited five years for this one to come, you want to make the most of it."

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