Wightman has 'fire inside' for LA 2028 after Paris blow

Jake Wightman had already been kitted out with his Team GB gear for the Paris Olympics

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Jake Wightman "could easily have been crushed" by the injury that ruled him out of the Olympic Games in Paris but says the "fire inside" is keeping him motivated as he targets Los Angeles 2028.

Since winning the world 1500m title two years ago, the 30-year-old Nottingham-born Scot's career has been blighted by fitness problems.

And, just a few days before he was scheduled to compete in the 800m in Paris, he picked up a hamstring tear during "one of the best sessions I have ever done" at a pre-games endurance camp in St Moritz.

"I was literally a couple of days from going into the village," Wightman, who had already tried on his opening ceremony uniform, told BBC Scotland.

Wightman had hoped 2024 was the year where "everything was going to come back round together and it was going to be my best season" after putting his injury struggles behind him.

"So it is a horrible way to end an Olympic experience - I didn't get to go," he said. "For me, it is now a decision of what I do.

"I could easily have been crushed by it and not wanted to carry on. But that can't be how I leave my experience with the Olympic Games.

"I am hoping to try to push on for one more cycle now, which I feel motivated to go and do rather than be disappointed and downbeat. I need to keep that fire inside, which I am glad is still there."

A foot problem prevented Wightman from defending his world title in 2023 and he then missed the British Olympic trials in June because of a calf injury.

However, he received a discretionary pick by Team GB selectors for the 800m before his hopes for Paris were dashed.

"I think probably the cruellest bit was I thought I had my bit of bad luck and wobble of the summer when I didn't do the trials," Wightman said.

"I don't think I could deal with too many more big blows like I have, so I am hoping I can have potentially four years of unbroken training and racing, which is what I desperately need."

Wightman is in the sport to chase championships and medals.

"I still believe I can do that and I believe I could have done that these last few years, but I just haven't been given the chance to show it, so that is the cruellest bit," he added.

"So it is about making sure I prove I can still do it and prove that all their hard work hasn't gone to waste."