As Jake Wightman was celebrating the greatest and most dramatic heist of these world championships to snatch Britain’s first gold medal here in Eugene, the giant screen at Hayward Field suddenly switched to the stadium announcer.
“I have got to tell you why the camera is on me,” said Geoff Wightman, a former top marathon runner and the voice of athletics across the world. “That’s my son. I coach him. And he’s the world champion.”
Somehow Wightman held back the tears after a moment that was surely unprecedented in broadcasting as well as elite sporting history. But slumped on the track in a similar state of shock was his son, who had just run the race of his life to take gold.
Few expected this. Not the bookies, who made him a massive underdog. Or British Athletics who had booked Wightman on a flight home on Wednesday – which meant his medal ceremony had to be brought forward nearly 24 hours to immediately after the race.
But while the 28-year-old was an outsider in a stellar field that included the Tokyo 2020 medallists Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Timothy Cheruiyot, and Josh Kerr – as well as Abel Kipsang, the world’s fastest man in 2022 – father and son always believed.
In the depths of winter they conducted a plan to toughen Wightman Jnr up by running more cross countries and 3,000m races so that when he reached this final in Eugene he would still save the strength in his legs to utilise his 1 min 44 sec 800m speed. And on a day when the temperatures crept towards the 90s, the plan worked to perfection.
Wightman stayed in close contact with the leaders as first Kipsang, who had not lost a race all season, and then the 2019 world champion Cheruiyot fell back after 700m. It was at that point Ingebrigtsen, the Olympic champion and the fastest man in the field, took over.
But try as he might, the Norwegian couldn’t get away from Wightman, who struck for home with 200m to go and hung on to take gold in 3:29.23. “Jake Wightman has just had the run of his life,” said Geoff on the stadium PA as his son crossed the line, before admitting. “My voice has gone.”
Ingebrigtsen was second in 3:29.27, with Spain’s Mohammad Katir third, just over half a second back. Kerr, the other Briton in the race, never quite threatened, and could only come fifth.
“The only point of having a good 800m PB in a race like that is if you are there with 200m to go,” said Wightman, who had previously only had bronze medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and European Championships to his name.
“I knew the odds were getting more into my favour the later in the race it went. I felt strong but Jakob is a beast and I didn’t know if he was going to come past and there was no screen.
“I had some self belief that if I gave it a go and got past I’d probably get a silver but it never happened and I’m world champion.”
Asked about his dad, he smiled: “He can be a bit of a robot on the mic sometimes – 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, someone was crying!”
It was Britain’s first world 1500m gold medal since 1983 when a young Steve Cram took his first world title. And the pride was evident in Geoff’s voice when his son stepped onto the highest rung of the podiumsaying: “Gold medallist, and representing Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Jake Wightman.”
Later Wightman explained why he had been relatively calm. “I’ve been doing his school sports day since he was about 11 because my wife’s been his PE teacher,” he said. “So we’ve just taken it to a slightly bigger stadia, slightly bigger crowds and slightly bigger medals.”
Then Wightman Snr began to smile. “But it was surreal watching him win gold. I was thinking, ‘I know that guy. He has a familiar look.’”