Gourley 'more nervous' about speech as he reaches 1500m final

Neil Gourley was "more nervous" about making his speech as captain of the Great Britain squad for the World Athletics Indoor Championships than making Sunday's 1500m final.

The Scot, who is leading the GB team for the first time, crossed the line first ahead of United States' Samuel Prakel and Spain's Ardrian Ben in what turned out to be the fastest heat in Nanjing, China.

They were joined in the final by Norway's Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who will start as favourite after he won the following heat in front of Austria's Raphael Pallitsch, with Ireland's Andrew Coscoran missing out in third.

Describing being captain as "different", Gourley told BBC Sport: "I gave a little speech earlier in the week and I think I was a lot more nervous for that than I was for this race.

"I was trying to get myself up for this race because it was easy by comparison."

Neil Gourley (right) won his heat in China

With only two to qualify from each heat, plus one fastest loser, Gourley stormed to the front with three laps remaining - and stayed there to the finish.

"That was exactly how I planned it," he said. "I wanted to go at the back and, since there were only six people in the race, just let people do what they wanted to do early doors.

"The pace was fairly honest, but I knew that, when I made my move, I wanted to make it stick. I didn't want to kind of hover.

"When I hit the front, that had to be it and just hold that position. I stuck to the plan and it went well."

American Luke Houser made an impressive move to finish first in heat three ahead of Sweden's Samuel Pihlstrom.

Spain's Mariano Garcia and Portugal's Isaac Nader qualified from the final heat, with GB's Adam Fogg in sixth.

Ingebrigtsen won the European Indoor title for a third time earlier this month, with Gourley in fourth, but the Norwegian's best at the World Indoor was silver in 2022.

Scotsman Gourley took European silver behind Ingebrigtsen in Istanbul the following year.