Silver medal for Briton in Tokyo as injury thwarts Kerr
Just 0.02sec separates first from second in 1500m final
When Jake Wightman sat on the bus to the 1500m heats at the World Athletics Championships on Sunday, he told himself that if he failed to make it through he was done. He was 31. His body was breaking down so often that he felt he had post‑traumatic stress disorder. And he feared his best days were behind him. Yet, just three days later, what had seemed like a final hurrah became a glorious resurrection.
What a fighter. What an athlete. What a 1500m final. Most expected this to be a shootout between Britain’s defending champion, Josh Kerr, and the young Dutch star Niels Laros. Instead the script was flipped on its head and ripped into pieces. Twice.
A slow burner of a race finally ignited with 200m remaining when Wightman charged from third to first, leaving others flailing. Around the final bend Laros was beaten. Kerr was long gone too, and was hobbling badly after injuring a calf.
