They’re on the home straight and winner is... my son! Pride of commentator dad
Flying Scot Jake is 1500m world champ
ONE had just become world champion against the odds; the other had commentated on it from high up in the stands.
So little wonder that British track hero Jake Wightman and his proud father Geoff hugged so tightly at the end of an extraordinary day of sporting drama.
Jake, 28, came into the World Championships 1500m final in Oregon, in the US, as an outsider, but stunned the athletics world – and himself – by winning it.
Geoff, 61, was the stadium announcer and, as his son crossed the finishing line, remained professional as he told the crowd: ‘Jake Wightman has just had the run of his life.’ The former marathon runner, who competed at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, then admitted: ‘My voice has gone.’
Jake was born in Nottingham but runs for Scotland, where he was raised as his father was chief executive of Scottish Athletics.
Educated at both Stewart’s Melville and Fettes College, he is a product of Edinburgh Athletic Club.
He also competed for Scotland at the London Mini Marathon and his most recent cross-country appearance was at Lanark last November.
Jake is now the first British man since Steve Cram in 1983 to win a world 1500m, while Liz McColgan is the only other Scot to win gold at the ‘Worlds’ – the 10,000m title in Tokyo in 1991.
In what is thought to have been an unprecedented moment in broadcasting and sporting history, when cameras beamed pictures of commentator Geoff on to the screens at Hayward Field stadium, he said: ‘That’s my son and he’s world champion.’
Jake’s mother Susan Wightman – who ran the marathon at the 1988 Seoul Olympics – was also watching the race from the stands and clutching a Union flag.
Jake, who finished tenth in the 1500m at the Tokyo Olympics last year, beat the reigning Olympic champion, Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen, after bursting into the lead with 200 metres to go.
After his win on Tuesday, Jake joked: ‘Dad can be a bit of a robot on the mic. Some people say robot, some say professional. I hope he broke that down today.
‘It will be interesting to watch it back. My mum was in tears, at least someone was crying.’
He told BBC Radio 5 Live yesterday: ‘I’ve heard his voice so much that it’s just numb to me and I try to drown it out as much as possible.
‘There’s no one else who’s got their dad in the stadium calling the race. I’ve had so many stinkers where he’s been calling it that it’s nice to have this.’
Geoff, who is now Jake’s coach and used to commentate on his school sports days, said: ‘We’ve just taken it to slightly bigger stadia, slightly bigger crowds and slightly bigger medals.’
As he crossed the line, there was a look of disbelief on Jake’s face and he held his arms out.
He said of his win: ‘I can’t believe I’m world champion, it’s crazy.’
His biggest medals before Oregon were bronze in the 1500m at the European Championships and Commonwealth Games in 2018.