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Jake Wightman

Jake Wightman (born 11 July 1994)[5] is a British middle-distance runner who primarily competes in the 1500 metres. He won the gold medal at the 2022 World Championships, the first global gold in a middle distance event for a British male since Seb Coe's 1500 m title at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.[4][6] At the European Athletics Championships, Wightman earned a bronze in 2018 and a silver for the 800 metres in 2022. He won bronze medals at the 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Jake Wightman
Wightman at the 2022 European Athletics Championships in Munich
Personal information
Born (1994-07-11) 11 July 1994 (age 30)
Nottingham, England, United Kingdom[1]
EducationLoughborough University[2]
Height1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight67 kg (148 lb)
Sport
CountryGreat Britain & N.I.
Scotland
SportAthletics
EventMiddle-distance running
ClubEdinburgh AC[3]
Coached byGeoff Wightman[4]
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Great Britain
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2022 Eugene 1500 m
European Championships
Silver medal – second place 2022 Munich 800 m
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Berlin 1500 m
European U20 Championships
Gold medal – first place 2013 Rieti 1500 m
Representing  Scotland
Commonwealth Games
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Gold Coast 1500 m
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Birmingham 1500 m

He holds three Scottish records (800 m, 1000 m, mile) and is a two-time British champion.

Career

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As a junior athlete, Wightman was the 2013 European Under-20 champion in the 1500 metres.[7]

In April 2018, he won his first major senior medal, with bronze for the 1500 m at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, where he also finished fourth in the 800 m.[5] In June, he set a Scottish record for the 1000 m with a time of 2:16.27 at the Diamond League meeting in Stockholm, breaking the previous record which had stood since 1984.[8] Wightman took bronze in the 1500 m at the Berlin European Athletics Championships in August.[5] That year he became the first Briton to run below 1:45 in the 800 m and 3:35 in the 1500 m since Peter Elliott in 1991.[9]

 
Jake Wightman at the 2021 FBK Games in Hengelo

The 25-year-old placed fifth in the 1500 m at the 2019 World Athletics Championships held in Doha, Qatar, running 3:31.87 in the final.[5]

In 2020, Wightman broke the Scottish 1500 m record with a time of 3:29.47, finishing in third place at the Monaco Diamond League.[10]

At the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021, he placed 10th in the event in a time of 3:35.09.[5]

2022: World 1500 m champion

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Wightman won the gold medal in the 1500 m event at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon in July with a personal best and world-leading time of 3:29.23, beating reigning Olympic champion and European record holder Jakob Ingebrigtsen (3:29.47). It was the first British world 1500 m title since Steve Cram in 1983, the first Scottish world title on the track since Liz McColgan's 10,000 m gold in 1991, and ended a streak of seven consecutive golds in the event from Kenya-born runners. The mark moved him to third on the UK all-time list. His father, Geoff Wightman, former marathoner and long-time media commentator, called the race as in-stadium commentator.[11][12][4]

 
Wightman winning gold at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene

Wightman continued his good form in August by taking a bronze in his specialist event at the Commonwealth Games Birmingham 2022, and a silver for the 800 m at the European Championships held in Munich.[5][13]

In September, he broke the 1:44-barrier in the 800 m for the first time, improving Tom McKean’s 33-year-old Scottish record of 1:43.88 in his fifth overall Diamond League victory with a time of 1:43.65 in Brussels.[14] He capped his breakthrough season on the road a few days later, winning for the third time the Fifth Avenue Mile in New York (he also won in 2018 and 2021).[15]

Across the season, Wightman set also Scottish records in the 1000 m and one mile, as well as revised his personal bests in the indoor 3000 m and road mile.[16][17] He was named by Sports Journalists' Association Sportsman of the Year, while British Athletics Writers' Association awarded him John Rodda Award for British Male Athlete of the Year for the second time, among others.

2023: Injury

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Going into the 2023 season, Wightman had high hopes of defending his 1500 m title at the World Championships in Budapest. However in January, after sustaining a freak foot injury during a gym session in South Africa, he was forced to spend 5 weeks in a boot, while cross-training to remain in good shape.

He returned to running that spring, aiming to be ready for Budapest, being able to skip qualification given his status as the reigning world champion. However after numerous achilles, shin, and hamstring issues, he decided to play it safe and focus on the 2024 Olympic year, withdrawing from the World Championships.[18] In his absence, his childhood schoolmate and club colleague, Josh Kerr, succeeded him as world champion in the 1500 metres.

2024: More injuries

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After missing the British Championships due to a calf injury, Wightman was selected to represent Great Britain in the 800 metres at the Paris Olympics.[19][20][21] He pulled out just days before he was scheduled to race because of a hamstring injury.[22][23]

Personal life

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Wightman attended Stewart's Melville College and Fettes College, both independent schools in Edinburgh, before studying at Loughborough University.[24] Although born in England, Wightman moved to Linlithgow as a child and represents Scotland internationally.[25]

His father and coach Geoff Wightman represented England in the marathon at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, whilst his mother Susan Tooby and his aunt Angela Tooby represented Great Britain at the Summer Olympics Seoul 1988.[10][26][27]

Achievements

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International competitions

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Representing   Great Britain &   Scotland
Year Competition Venue Position Event Time
2013 European Junior Championships Rieti, Italy 1st 1500 m 3:44.14
2014 Commonwealth Games Glasgow, United Kingdom 16th (h) 1500 m 3:43.87
2016 European Championships Amsterdam, Netherlands 7th 1500 m 3:47.68
2017 World Championships London, United Kingdom 20th (sf) 1500 m 3:41.79
2018 World Indoor Championships Birmingham, United Kingdom 6th 1500 m 3:58.91
Commonwealth Games Gold Coast, Australia 4th 800 m 1:45.82
3rd 1500 m 3:35.97
European Championships Berlin, Germany 3rd 1500 m 3:38.25
2019 World Championships Doha, Qatar 5th 1500 m 3:31.87
2021 Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 10th 1500 m 3:35.09
2022 World Championships Eugene, OR, United States 1st 1500 m 3:29.23
Commonwealth Games Birmingham, United Kingdom 3rd 1500 m 3:30.53
European Championships Munich, Germany 2nd 800 m 1:44.91

Circuit wins, National titles

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Personal bests

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Awards

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References

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  1. ^ "Glasgow 2014 - Jake Wightman Profile". g2014results.thecgf.com. Archived from the original on 23 May 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  2. ^ University bio Archived 2016-08-22 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Athlete Profile". www.thepowerof10.info.
  4. ^ a b c Ingle, Sean (20 July 2022). "Jake Wightman stuns 1500m field to claim world title as dad commentates". TheGuardian.com. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Jake WIGHTMAN – Athlete Profile". World Athletics. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  6. ^ Murphy, Walt (15 December 2022). "'The winner is my son' - Wightman's Oregon22 spikes donated to MOWA". World Athletics. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  7. ^ "Who is Jake Wightman? Athlete wins World Athletics Championships gold". www.nationalworld.com.
  8. ^ "Jake Wightman smashes 34-year-old Scottish record". dinburghnews.scotsman.com. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  9. ^ "Jake Wightman: From a running family with dreams of hitting the top". The Independent. 20 July 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  10. ^ a b Calvert, Howard (14 July 2022). "5 things you should know about British athlete Jake Wightman". Runner's World.
  11. ^ "GB's Wightman takes stunning world 1500m gold". BBC Sport. 20 July 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  12. ^ Egelstaff, Susan (24 July 2022). "Wightman joins Scottish greats with stunning World 1500m title". The Herald. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  13. ^ "European Championships: Jake Wightman takes silver in men's 800m". BBC Sport. 21 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  14. ^ Mackenzie, Alasdair (3 September 2022). "Britain's Jake Wightman sets personal best in Diamond League 800m victory". Eurosport UK. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  15. ^ Adams, Tim (11 September 2022). "Laura Muir and Jake Wightman win 5th Avenue Mile in New York". AW. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  16. ^ "Record-breakers! 26 new marks enter the history books". Scottish Athletics. 23 December 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  17. ^ "Four British athletes up for European Athletics awards - how to vote". UK Athletics. 21 September 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  18. ^ "World champion Jake Wightman out for the season". AW. 5 July 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  19. ^ "Jake Wightman relieved to get Team GB 'lifeline' for what could be last Olympics". The Independent. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  20. ^ "Wightman fancies 800m chances as he & McColgan make Olympics". BBC Sport. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  21. ^ "Nine Scots confirmed in GB athletics squad for Paris Olympics as Jake Wightman and Eilish McColgan learn fate". The Scotsman. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  22. ^ "GB medal hope Wightman pulls out of Olympics". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  23. ^ "Olympics 2024: Injury rules Team GB's Jake Wightman out of 800m". ESPN. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  24. ^ "World Athletics Championship: How to watch Josh Kerr and Jake Wightman going for gold in 1,500m final". www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  25. ^ https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/other-sport/who-is-jake-wightman-profile-of-edinburghs-1500m-world-champion-3775436. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  26. ^ "2016 EAC bio" (PDF).
  27. ^ "Jake Wightman: World champion and his dad Geoff on 1500m Oregon victory". BBC Sport. 20 July 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  28. ^ "Podium 5k elite male A race". Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  29. ^ "Reekie and Wightman among winners of the 2020 British Athletics Writers Association Awards". Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  30. ^ Henderson, Jason (20 December 2022). "BAWA awards go to Muir, McColgan and Wightman". AW. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  31. ^ "2022 SJA British Sports Awards". SportsJournalists.co.uk. Sports Journalists' Association. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  32. ^ "4J Annual Awards: Jake and Sean land our 4J Athlete of Year titles after memorable year". Scottish Athletics. 30 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  33. ^ "Muir and Miller land our Athlete of Year titles at 4J Annual Awards". Scottish Athletics. 10 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  34. ^ "Simpsons, Wightman & Muir among top Scots awards". BBC Sport. 8 December 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  35. ^ "AW readers' choice poll results". AW. 8 December 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  36. ^ Henderson, Jason (16 November 2022). "Laura Muir and Jake Wightman named BMC athletes of 2022". AW. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
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