Gourley is quicksilver but he can’t quite catch incredible Ingebrigtsen
ONCE again, a Brit went toe-to-toe with Jakob Ingebrigtsen in a major 1500 metres final. Only this time there was to be no stopping the Norwegian superstar. Ingebrigtsen, 22, was left stunned last summer when Jake Wightman beat him to gold at the World Championships in Eugene. But lightning could not strike twice at the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Istanbul last night, as the Olympic champion held off the challenge of Neil Gourley.
The Scot, 28, gave it a go on the last lap and finished just 0.28sec behind Ingebrigtsen, who set a Championship record of 3min 33.95sec. The silver was Gourley’s first major medal. ‘There are mixed emotions because I thought I could take Jakob today,’ he said afterwards.
‘I definitely thought I could win on that last lap. I got close but when I moved he just reacted really well. ‘He’s one of the best ever but he’s very much beatable. Jake improved and beat him last summer and that’s what I’m trying to do this year.’
There was heartbreak in the same event for Gourley’s team-mate George Mills, who was floored on the first lap and ended up last. Mills — son of former England footballer Danny — looked furious at the finish and said: ‘Someone cut me off or tripped me up from behind. I’m gutted.
I felt ready to do something today. I think third was there for the taking.’ Britain’s Daryll Neita was also disappointed at only taking bronze in the women’s 60m in a time of 7.12sec. ‘I am not particularly happy with this result,’ said Neita. ‘It is amazing to bring a medal home but I would have liked more.’ Melissa Courtney-Bryant claimed Britain’s first medal in Istanbul with a bronze in the women’s 3,000m.