Compliment from Coe sets Wightman up for the double

JAKE WIGhTMAn may still get star-struck when Seb Coe grabs him by the hand and offers heartfelt congratulations.

But the Scot is perfectly placed to deliver the kind of middle-distance double that made athletics legend Coe such a phenomenon in his heyday.

Originally targeting just the 1500 metres here, Wightman is now dreaming of a medal in the 800 following a hugely impressive qualification for tomorrow’s final.

IAAF president Coe, who has been closely following Wightman’s career since he beat a world-class 1500 field at the Bislett Games last summer, was among the first to congratulate the 23-year-old following yesterday’s heat.

‘I spoke to him just then, after my race,’ revealed the Team Scotland star. ‘he met me and said well done.

‘It’s funny because he’s popping up in the commentary for Australian TV, so he’s been mixing his roles up out here.

‘I still get star-struck by him, so it was a pretty nice thing to do.’

Fewer and fewer 1500 runners have dropped down to compete over two laps since the days of Coe and Steve Ovett regularly doubling up at major games.

But Wightman, who revealed that he’d finally been persuaded to commit to the shorter distance by a blistering 600m run in training, is now daring to dream.

‘I’m here to get a medal,’ he said. ‘no matter the event. The opportunity to have two is very exciting. no matter how the 800 goes, I’ve got to keep my focus for the 1500.

‘But my minimum aim was to make the final in the 800, just to put yourself in contention for it. I think maybe my expectations have been lifted a bit.

‘There have been some upsets in the heats, so anything can happen when it comes to the final. I will be glad to have a day off now to rest. Coming back to do it again tomorrow would be savage.’

Wightman, who is coached by dad Geoff, was originally holding back on the 800 until he saw if there were going to be heats and semis, meaning three races in as many days.

But he said: ‘I did a 600 metres time trial and it was way faster than I thought it would be. So both of us thought: “Oh, there’s no way we can’t do the 800 now.”

‘Then the next day they pulled the semis. Perfect timing and it worked out well for me.

‘I think probably every other 800 runner wanted three rounds!’ While Wightman soared in his back-up event, team-mate Guy Learmonth was left paying the price for a foot injury that curtailed his strength work — and left him finishing a disappointing sixth in his heat to miss out on a final place.

Learmonth, who looked absolutely done in with 150 metres to go, admitted: ‘I can get to 600 and 700 and feel fine.

‘But it’s the worst I’ve ever felt for the last 100. I felt like I was walking — it probably looked like that as well.

‘I have just missed too much training. I’ve missed a big bulk of eight to ten weeks of strength work. And that’s what gets you through the last 200.

‘I was swimming. In fact, the swimmers for Scotland could probably swim faster than I was running that last 100.’

Learmonth was left trailing by English rival Kyle Langford, one of the Team GB runners singled out by the Scot in his complaints about who should and shouldn’t get Lottery funding.

Langford admitted: ‘Me and Guy have had a few spats on social media. I wanted him to be in my heat here.

‘Competition brings the best out of you and it is good to have someone like Guy who can say his opinion and prove it on the track. There is no bad blood between us, it’s just rivalry.’