Could Scots trio really sweep world 1500m medals?

Jake Wightman, Josh Kerr and Neil Gourley have reached Wednesday's final

When the final of the men's 1500m begins at the World Athletics Championships on Wednesday it will not just be three British men who set off with medals in mind, it will be three Scottish men.

A trio who competed as wee boys will now fight it out as big men at 14:20 BST live on the BBC, a long way from the tracks and trails on which they once raced.

Olympic silver medallist and defending champion Josh Kerr, 2022 winner Jake Wightman and world indoor silver medallist Neil Gourley will each wake up in Tokyo on Wednesday thinking this could be their moment.

One of their predecessors in the event, Chris O'Hare, told BBC Scotland: "I don't think it is out of the question to have all three of them on the podium.

"The stars have got to align for that to happen, but that is generally the case for anybody to pick up a medal."

O'Hare, now 34, won three European medals over 1500m and 3,000m before retiring three years ago and reached the final of this event himself in Moscow in 2013.

In doing so, he became the first British man to make that mark in six years, but how times have changed.

Kerr is the second fastest qualifier for the final, Wightman the third, while Gourley, who was in the slowest semi-final, is capable too.

"They all stand a chance individually and there is a really good chance Scotland takes at least two of these medals home," O'Hare said. "There is even a shot that we could take all three, which would be pretty special stuff."

'Scottish athletes get it done'

With shock Olympic gold medallist Cole Hocker disqualified in Gourley's semi-final and the feted Jakob Ingebrigsten blowing up in the heats, O'Hare believes "a few doors have opened".

Now working in the financial services industry in Oklahoma, O'Hare is regarded as a bit of a trailblazer for the current crop of 1500m stars and admits he will be watching the final from afar with a little bit of envy.

"It is incredible, really," he says. "If you marry it up against the US, the funding that goes into US track and field is probably more in one year than has ever gone into Scottish athletics.

"Whether it is something in the water, or whether it is just a work ethic and a talent pool, Scottish athletes time and time again get it done.

"Even if it was three British athletes, we would still be saying it is a spectacular achievement, but to have three all from Scotland is even more outstanding.

"Over time, it has progressed and now these guys have taken it to a whole other level. Now making the final isn't good enough anymore - we are trying to get three guys on the podium."