‘Wow!’ said commentator: ‘My son’s world champ’

IF the stadium announcer sounded a little too emotionally invested in Jake Wightman’s 1500metres victory, it soon became apparent why. Raising his arms in triumph, the man commentating on the race for those inside Hayward Field was the runner’s dad and coach Geoff. The trackside voice of the sport at multiple Olympic Games, his words here in Eugene will never be forgotten: ‘It’s Wightman against Ingebrigtsen for the world title. Oh it’s going to be so close... so, so close. And Jake Wightman is the world champion! Oh... in 29.23, a lifetime best. Running is coming home. Wow. That’s my son and he is the world champion!’ Former Scottish Athletics chief executive Geoff, an ex-Great Britain international himself, was immediately hugged by Susan, proud wife and mum, who ran the marathon at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. He started doing stadium announcing when Jake and twin Sam were in school races in Edinburgh while Susan was their PE teacher. How did he even attempt to keep his cool with this commentary? ‘At the finish, I was reasonably coldeyed about it, because I had to call the rest of the medallists and keep an eye on the times and there was a job to be done,’ he said. ‘For the medal ceremony, I was concentrating very hard because I didn’t want to mess up. But the point where I had a bit of a wobbler was when I was talking afterwards about when Mike Johnston gave Jake his first Scottish vest. ‘Because it’s been quite a long journey. That’s really when you can trace little progressions. He got his first Scottish cross country vest in Antrim. He didn’t do Family affair: Jake with dad Geoff and mum Susan after world title triumph that well. But he was only little then. He hadn’t grown. And just getting a Scottish vest was enough encouragement to keep him going on that point.’ There was a text on Tuesday in which he told Jake to seize the moment. ‘Lots of people said: “I’ve got Jake down for a medal. I think he’ll get bronze”,’ said Geoff. ‘The last exchange of messages we had yesterday was: “Look, you could slot in fourth, fifth or sixth, and then on the final charge, get a bronze. But how many times in your life are you ever going to line up for a global final in this kind of form? With the possibility that, if you take a risk, you could win it?” ‘The plan was cover every break. He did this at the Olympics and it went wrong. He did it here and it went right.’