World Athletics Championships: Jake Wightman stuns field to claim 1500 metres gold - with his father on commentary

Updated 20/07/2022 at 08:07 GMT

Wightman had finished a disappointing tenth at Tokyo 2020 last year, and was regarded as an outsider to even medal in a strong field in Eugene. The 28-year-old nonetheless held strong position throughout a fast final, kicking past Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the Olympic champion, and holding off the Norwegian - with his father calling him down the home straight.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Team Norway and Jake Wightman of Team Great Britain cross the finish line in the Men's 1500m Final on day five of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 19, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon.

Image credit: Getty Images

Great Britain's Jake Wightman produced the finest run of his career to stun Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen and take gold in the 1500 metres at the World Championships in Eugene.

Wightman, who secured European and Commonwealth medals in 2018, beat a strong field that also contained Kenyans Timothy Cheruiyot, the defending champion, and Abel Kipsang, who had not been beaten all year.

The 28-year-old British runner held strong position across the opening laps, moving towards the front as the runners took the bell.

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Ingebrigtsen had led from the front throughout but Wightman was able to move past the Norwegian with 200 metres to go, holding off his fast, final charge to take the biggest victory of his career so far in a world-leading and championships record time of 3:29.23.

He was called home at Hayward Field by his father, Geoff, a former marathon runner and one of the in-house announcers at the stadium.

"Crazy," Wightman told BBC Sport. "It probably won't [sink in] until I've retired. It's mad.

"I had such a disappointing year in Tokyo last year. I don't think people realise how crushing it was to go in with such high expectations and come away hoping for a medal but ending up with tenth.

"I just knew, here, take the pressure off, the only thing that can happen is that it is a better run than last year.

"I just got a whiff of it on the last lap - I knew if I was there with 200 [metres] to go, I was going to do everything I could to put myself in a position to win it. I was just running for my life down the home straight."

Spain's Mohamed Katir completed the podium, with compatriot Mario Garcia fourth and Britain's Josh Kerr, the Olympic bronze medallist, in fifth.

Wightman's gold is Britain's first in the men's 1500m since Steve Cram at the 1983 Worlds in Helsinki.

The Nottingham-born runner had been a European Junior champion over the distance but had endured a disappointing couple of years, fading to finish tenth in a high-pace final at Tokyo 2020.

A winter toughening the legs over 3000m races and a more intensive cross-country programme has paid dividends, though, allowing Wightman, also proficient over 800m, to hold his strength for a fast finish.

“The only point of having a good 800m PB in a race like that is if you are there with 200m to go,” said Wightman.

“I knew the odds were getting more into my favour the later in the race it went. I felt strong but Jakob is a beast and I didn’t know if he was going to come past and there was no screen.

“I had some self-belief that if I gave it a go and got past I’d probably get a silver but it never happened and I’m world champion.”

Working up in the stands was his father, Geoff, a familiar voice to athletics spectators for his work providing in-stadium updates.

In the moments after his son secured victory, the big screen in Eugene showed an image of the announcer, prompting a hasty, proud explanation.

“I have got to tell you why the camera is on me,” said Geoff Wightman. “That’s my son. I coach him. And he’s the world champion.”

The elder Wightman later explained why he had managed to remain calm calling his son home: “I’ve been doing his school sports day since he was about 11 because my wife’s been his PE teacher. So we’ve just taken it to a slightly bigger stadia, slightly bigger crowds and slightly bigger medals.

“But it was surreal watching him win gold. I was thinking, ‘I know that guy. He has a familiar look.’”

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