From Gold Coast to World silver: Jake wins Medal No 6 . . . seven years on

Thursday 18th September 2025

Photo by Sam Mellish for British Athletics

Jake Wightman’s face was creased by a huge smile as he picked up pace moving through the stadium’s Mixed Zone.

Grinning from ear-to-ear, he ran along his side of the barrier high fiving the Scottish media and staff from Team Scotland and Scottish Athletics in a memorable moment of elation and exuberance.

The scene described unfolded some seven years ago in the bowels of the Carrara Stadium, Gold Coast, Australia, on 14 April 2018.

Jake had just won his first international medal in the Commonwealth Games as he took bronze in the 1500m. He had finished desperately close to the podium a couple of nights earlier when placed fourth in the 800m.

It felt like a breakthrough moment for the Edinburgh AC athlete and the man who presented his medal in Gold Coast – none other than Seb Coe – later told this correspondent exactly that.

‘This can be a platform for his career and I am sure there are more medals to come,’ Coe, a family friend of the Wightmans as it transpired, told us.

Seb Coe piece

Jake on the podium at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games with Seb Coe second from right (photo by Bobby Gavin)

Coe was not wrong and guess who made the presentation on the podium on Thursday? Coe, of course, with dad Geoff on the microphone to announce.

Silver in Tokyo in a thrilling World Champs final was Jake’s sixth major medal. As it happens; Josh Kerr has four and Neil Gourley has two to make it a round dozen between them in recent years.

It reflects well on the athletes themselves and their coaches, of course, but also the pathway in Scotland.

We watched them in Cross Country, Scottish Schools, Age Group Champs, at Grangemouth and in the London Mini Marathon (where many teenagers have won their first Scotland selections).

Here’s the medal tally at European, World, Commonwealth and Olympic events

Jake Wightman:

World Gold 2022

European Silver 2022 (800m)

European Bronze 2018

Commonwealth Bronze 2018

Commonwealth Bronze 2022

Josh Kerr:

World Gold 2023

World Indoor Gold 2024 (3000m)

Olympic Silver 2024

Olympic Bronze 2021

Neil Gourley

World Indoor Silver 2025

Euro Indoor Silver 2023

Jake was coached by his dad, Geoff, for almost all his career before making a change last year when he moved to Manchester. He is now coached by John Hartigan.

‘These moments come and go in such a whirlwind,’ he told British Athletics in Tokyo.

‘I knew there was an opportunity to get a medal, I felt there was an opportunity to win it and I came close. I did everything I possibly could.

‘The last couple of years have been pretty grim. But in my mind I always believed I could come back and do this.

‘At the moment, I am like, yes, I still can do it and be the athlete I believe I am. But there were points where I really didn’t believe it, there were points that my body was telling me no and I thought it was going to be a career that fizzled out and didn’t potentially lead to anything after.

‘But I have persisted and made a lot of changes, a lot of people have really looked after me and wrapped me in cotton wool this year, and the reward for that is another medal on the world stage so I am very happy.’

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Edinburgh AC can be thrilled with their part in his development. The New York Times actually shone a light on the grassroots element prior to the action in Japan.

Then, on Wednesday, an American athletics journalist Jonathan Gault shared on X (Twitter) the famous image of Josh and Jake as kids with EAC and said: ‘Someone in this photo has won medals at the last five Men’s 1500m final (Olympics and World Champs).

It really is remarkable.

Our Governing Body current Strategy is entitled ‘Building a Culture of Success’ and many of our elite are living that out via their careers and performances.

Neil Gourley sent us this message:

‘I just wanted to thank you all for your support as always. I think it was special to have three men in a World Champs final from our wee country. That was for the first time in six years at this level.

‘I will always remember lining up with these guys and with the support coming from back home. It was good fun to have three of us and I hope we have represented you as well as we could this week in Tokyo.

‘We appreciate the support and having you in our corner.’