Jake Wightman soared to a superb silver to earn the Novuna Great Britain & Northern Ireland Team its first medal of the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
Wightman (John Hartigan, Edinburgh) hit the front during the final lap of the hotly anticipated men’s 1500m final but was reeled in down the home straight by Portugal’s Isaac Nader, who triumphed by just two-hundredths of a second.
Silver marks an excellent result for the 31-year-old after an injury-hit few years since he won gold at Eugene 2022 and he was understandably filled with pride.
“All I knew today was I was going to run to try and win,” said Wightman, who clocked 3:34.12.
“Whether that got me to win, whether that got me second, third, however high up, I’d just be happy that I walked away with it.
“It has been a very bleak couple of years for me, and I made some huge changes in my life this past year to try and get back to this point.
“I’m a big believer that you kind of get what you’re putting in at some point. And when I kept getting kicked when I was down, I just kept believing that at some point, karma was going to come back and give me a bit of luck.”
Neil Gourley (Stephen Haas, Giffnock North) finished 10th in 3:35.56, while Josh Kerr (Danny Mackey, Edinburgh), who went into the race as reigning world champion after his stunning triumph in Budapest two years ago, suffered an injury at the midway point and battled to the line in 4:11.23.
The women’s 3000m steeplechase final was the other showpiece with British interest on day five and saw Elise Thorner (Helen Clitheroe, Wells City) come home 11th in 9:19.02.
“I went in just to compete like I have done all year, which I definitely did, so I couldn’t have asked for any more,” she said.
“My coach said to me just give it your heart and soul, which is what I did.
“I sound a bit disappointed which I think is good as you expect more. I would never have dreamed I would be 11th in the world. We will be back for more.”
Earlier in the evening, Britain’s trio of female 200m sprinters made it safely through to the semi-finals.
Dina Asher-Smith (Blackheath & Bromley) won the sixth heat in 22.40, Amy Hunt (Marco Airale, Charnwood) was second in the penultimate heat in 22.57 while Daryll Neita (Lance Brauman, Cambridge Harriers) came through her opener in third in 22.59.
Asher-Smith said: “I was happy out there. I feel good, I am just really excited to get started over the 200, happy it has started now and happy to take it up a notch over the next few days.”
In the men’s 200m, Zharnel Hughes (Glen Mills, Shaftesbury Barnet) qualified in second in his heat, stopping the clock in 20.04.
“I felt pretty good and confident,” he said. “I am taking it round by round. I know I can do great things in this 200m if I just keep trusting myself and keep showing up.”
Toby Harries (David Sadkin, Brighton Phoenix) was unable to join Hughes in the latter stages after finishing seventh in his heat in 20.76.
Tyri Donovan (Marina Armstrong, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow) clocked another personal best in the men’s 400m hurdles but was unable to advance to the final, finishing his semi-final in fourth place in 48.21.
Alastair Chalmers (Matt Elias, Guernsey) was sixth in the third semi-final, clocking 49.49, while Emily Newnham (Nick Dakin, Shaftesbury Barnet) finished in the same position in 54.64 in the second semi-final of the women’s 400m hurdles.
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