World Athletics Championships: Jake Wightman - from nearly man to 1500m champion

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World Athletics Championships: Jake Wightman becomes world champion in men's 1500m

The first Briton to win the 1500m world title since Steve Cram in 1983. The first Scot to win World Championships gold since Liz McColgan's 10,000m in 1991. A first senior win on the global stage at age 28. The fastest time in the world this year and a new championship record.

All this achieved within a breathtaking three minutes 29.23 seconds in Oregon while dad and coach Geoff provided the stadium announcements and hero Cram was commentating for the BBC.

It was a dream-like scenario and no surprise that Jake Wightman's face was a mixture of shock, amazement and delight as he crossed the line ahead of Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen.

But who is the man who has taken Scottish athletics to new heights just 24 hours after Laura Muir struck bronze in her 1500m final?

'Whatever happens now, I'm a world champion'

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World Athletics: Jake Wightman's dad commentates on gold medal

Born in Nottingham, Wightman is the son of two former marathon runners, mother Susan Tooby having competed against McColgan for Wales.

However, prior to the World Championships, he admitted it was his affiliation to Scottish Athletics that allowed his talent to blossom.

"I wasn't amazing when I was 13, 14, 15 and I would probably have got swallowed up if I was in England, whereas coming from Scotland I was able to have enough success to keep me hungry," he told BBC Scotland.

So much so that, after attending athletics breeding ground Loughborough University, Wightman was crowned European junior champion at 1500m in 2013.

Despite that, bronze at the Commonwealth Games and European Championships in 2018 were his only top-class medals - until now.

Signs were good, however, when he claimed a first British title in Manchester to qualify for the World Championships after a Scottish 1-2-3 ahead of friend and rival Neil Gourley and Edinburgh AC team-mate Josh Kerr.

Wightman had finished a disappointing 10th in the Olympic final last year but was ranked second in the world heading to Eugene having won a Diamond League meeting in Rabat in June before breaking the 40-year-old Scottish outdoor mile record.

"I have shown over the years glimpses of my potential to do good stuff at global championships, but I've not quite done it yet," Wightman had said.

With Gourley narrowly missing out on the final, it was down to two Scots to take on one of the strongest-ever 1500m fields, including Ingebrigtsen and defending champion Timothy Cheruiyot, the silver medallist from Tokyo.

A podium finish would have been a major achievement. Gold was almost beyond his wildest dreams. Yet the fantastical became reality as Wightman scorched to gold by holding off Norway's Olympic champion in a magnificent tussle down the home straight.

It was an iconic moment in Scottish sport, made even more special by dad Geoff calling every glorious step into the record books.

"Dad can be a bit of a robot on the mic sometimes - some people say robot, some say professional," Wightman said. "I hope he broke that down today. It will be interesting to watch it back. My mum was in tears, at least someone was crying.

"I'm 28 now - I don't know how many more opportunities I will get to do this and I hope there is a lot more to come. I need to make the most of it. It's important to hit the milestone like this, seven, eight-year-old me would never have believed.

"Whatever happens in the rest of my career, I'm a world champion."

'It's just a great story'

Image source, PA Media
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Jake Wightman (centre) celebrated his success with father Geoff and mother Susan

Cram "could not be happier" after watching Wightman end Britain's 39-year drought in the men's 1500m since his own victory in Helsinki.

"What I loved about it was the move with 200m to go - it was brave," he said.

"It was already fast. It would have been very easy to say, I will just sit here and see what I can get in the home straight. No, he said, 'I will try to win this'.

"It's just a great story because he is the sort of athlete that so many others can look up to.

"He wasn't smashing records when he was a junior, age-group records or anything. Just steady, steady progress, a real commitment to what he does, believes in himself."

Paula Radcliffe, who won the marathon world title in 2005, said it was "beautiful to watch" as the Scot defeated Ingebrigtsen considering many had said the Norwegian "was unbeatable".

Kerr, who finished fifth, also lauded Wightman, adding: "That is so awesome for Jake. I couldn't think of a more deserving guy, such a legend, so nice, hardworking, honest and I am super proud of what he has achieved."

'Among Scotland's greatest athletes'

Scottish Athletics chairman David Ovens

Jake has a great work ethic, a great coach who happens to be his dad, he's resilient, works hard, he's had lots of ups and downs on the way and thoroughly deserves his place on the podium.

It's like buses. Liz McColgan back in 91 in Tokyo and here we were celebrating Laura Muir with her bronze yesterday and then to top it off Jake this morning with a gold medal.

Laura and Jake have to rank up there as some of the greatest athletes Scotland has ever produced.

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