SEALED with a KISS
Wightman shares an embrace with legend Coe after landing historic bronze in 1,500m
AFATHER’S voice cracked with emotion, a See-YouJimmy wig was an instant hit with the local crowd — and a living legend of the sport looked for all the world as if he was going to plant a smacker on the lips of a delirious Scottish hero.
Jake Wightman’s afternoon run in the steamy heat of the Carrara Stadium was certainly not without incident.
Wightman made history by becoming the first Scottish man in 40 years to win a Commonwealth Games medal in the 1,500 metres.
His third-placed finish in the blue riband event of middle-distance running had dad Geoff — doing the day job of stadium announcing and commentary on track and field — sounding the tiniest bit overcome as he described Jake crossing the line with a croaked: ‘And it’s a bronze for Scotland!’
A fourth athletics medal of these Games, equaling Scotland’s tally from Glasgow four years ago, stood out as the pick of the bunch — notwithstanding the potential for Callum Hawkins to supersede it in the marathon being run overnight, UK time.
Finishing behind only the Kenyan pair of Elijah Manangoi and Timothy Cheruiyot, Wightman left a whole heap of class athletes in his wake.
His lap of honour was far more leisurely, the pace affected by being held up for a medal ceremony — and sister Martha handing him a comedy hat that meant he was stopped for photographs every ten feet on his circuit of the stadium.
When it came time for him to receive his medal, British athletics legend Seb Coe took charge of the presentation, grabbing Wightman’s face with both hands and pulling him close after hanging the precious metal around his neck.
Asked if he thought the IAAF president was about to kiss him, Jake laughed: ‘Yeah. I thought he was going in for it. Wildest dreams!
‘But I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to present that medal. He’s been great this champs. I was speaking to him in the tunnel and he couldn’t have said nicer words.
‘He had his Loughborough tie on and he said he’d got it on for me. I’m sure he would have swapped it if I hadn’t got a medal.
‘Before we went out (for the ceremony), he gave me a hug and said he knew I was going to get a medal — and he was so proud of how I ran.
‘He’s been great. There’s no one I’d like to emulate more than him.
‘Steve Cram came up and gave me a hug as soon as I’d finished. He’s been class, too.
‘From those guys, who have been and done everything, it’s nice to know they admire what you’re doing.’
When it was pointed out that all Wightman needed to complete the set of Great British middle-distance admirers was a message from Steve Ovett, he pointed out: ‘He emails dad every now and again, so he’s pretty nice.
‘It helps having parents involved in the sport.’
Geoff is a former elite athlete himself, as is mum Susan. With dad now coaching Jake, he’s never short of family support.
Leave it to sis, then, to provide the perfect prop in a crowd littered with travelling Scots, emigres and ninthgeneration Aussies who all claim to have traced their ancestry back to Kinross, Kirkcaldy or Kincardine O’Neil.
Wightman, who had finished just two tenths of a second outside the medal places in the 800m last week, pointed to the hat and declared: ‘My sister is ginger, so I’m surprised this isn’t her hair!
‘There were so many Scottish Saltires around the crowd, as well. It was nice to see so many fans going away and it was nice to know it wasn’t a complete Aussie crowd.
‘I didn’t know they were going to give me the hat. If the opportunity is there to put it on, I’ll do it.
‘I didn’t go full Mark Dry and put the kilt on — my legs can’t quite pull that off.
‘The last 200m (of the lap of honour) was definitely my slowest one! The crowd were great on that victory lap.
‘It’s something that, when I came away with fourth in the 800m, you just leave the stadium.
‘This time you get to do your victory lap, get your medal, have the medal ceremony. But you’re treated like nothing when you come fourth!
‘So, I definitely wanted to make sure I enjoyed this. I’m so glad to go home with something to show from these champs.
‘The biggest outcome is I know I can double up in champs. It’s something I might do in the future — I just need to improve my 800m!’
On becoming the first Scotsman to win a medal in the metric mile since John Robson in 1978, Wightman continued: ‘It’s great to have a part in history.
‘And, hopefully, it starts the ball
Seb said he knew I was going to medal and he was proud of me
rolling for middle-distance running again.
‘The effort Scottish Athletics and Team Scotland have put in for us, it’s a reward and a thank you to them. They made the camp and the prep so good it was hard not to be in the shape I came into this.
‘They made it such a smooth ride and a lot of us have got a lot to thank them for.’
Geoff’s professionalism is such that he never belies any hint of
favouritism towards one athlete or nation; he is a genuine enthusiast whose love of quality performances shines through in commentary that almost always adds to the enjoyment of spectators.
To those listening for it, though, there was perhaps a minute over-emphasis as he called the play for the third man crossing the line.
‘There might have been a slight sign of emotion in his voice!’ said Jake with a grin.
‘To be fair, the one time I thought he might have cracked would be now. But he still kept his cool. He’s still commentating as we speak, so it hasn’t affected him too much but I hope he’s ecstatic on the inside because he’s put so much work in for me.
‘This is definitely for him and everything he’s done. He does the thinking for me and I just run. This is definitely more his medal than mine.
‘I’ll look forward to the next couple of days to celebrate with my family. I’ll probably get some rubbish food and a couple of drinks.
‘But dad, being the slave master he is, has booked us into a VO2 max test on Monday! So I’ll enjoy it tonight but I’ll need to get back on it tomorrow.’