RBR interview, Jake Wightman, and a new start, by Stuart Weir,
Jake Wightman and a new start
It was one of the most memorable moments in our sport when Jake Wightman overtook Jakob Ingebrigtsen to win the 1500 at the 2022 World Championships. With stadium announcer Geoff trying to keep his composure as he spoke the words: “He’s my son and I coach him and Jake Wightman is the World Champion”.
A lot has happened in the two years since Oregon 2022. Jake raced in January 2023, got a serious injury and was not back on the track for 13 months. 2024 was also a battle with Jake selected for the Paris Olympics but having to withdraw with another injury – to his hamstring in the last rep of the last session before he was due to go to Paris – and not running at all between June 2024 and early 2025.
Eugene, Oregon, USA
July15-26, 2022
1500 meter final, Wightman, GBR, New Balance, photo by Kevin Morris
He is back in action this year and came fourth in the 1500m in the Novuna London Athletics Meet in 3:31.58, being Keoch, Kerr and Nader. Jake told me afterwards: “It was OK, but not as good as I thought it was going to be. I didn’t feel quite as relaxed as I wanted to. It was a tough last lap and then there was a bit of tripping and stuff but I thought I ran OK – just OK that’s how I would sum it up”.
Jake also made a massive change, breaking the life-long father-son coach-athlete partnership after 15 years and is now coached by John Hartigan. He spoke a little about the new arrangements: “I have to remember where I’ve been in the last two years, that is before I get on the start line. I’m trying to, like, set my standards a bit lower than I’m expecting normally but I still want to be going into those races competing to win and I wasn’t quite there for that today. ”
So there are pros and cons from today’s race.
“Bits of training have changed. A lot of it is that the intensity has dropped a bit so I don’t feel like I’m chasing to squeeze everything out of every session because that’s what got me hurt in the last few years. I have a good team around me and sensible decisions are being made. I feel that I’m undercooking training rather than overcooking it which is what I need because I’m fit so the main thing is putting the weeks together rather than burying myself in a hole every session and not making the start line. I feel like I’m running well now because I’m just ticking weeks off, one at time and there’s still plenty of time this season to go so I’m staying positive about that”.
In a recent interview in The Times with Matt Lawton, Jake revealed a number of things about the change of coach. He said in [the Times interview] that the coaching change was motivated by a desire to protect his relationship with his father as there were clashes and arguments, explaining: “Most parent-child athlete-coach relationships tend to end in one of two ways: either they stay with them their whole career and it’s all happy and great, or it ends with people never speaking to their parents again, because it ends so badly”.
Jake was also quoted in the article: “Eugene 2022 was the highlight of my time being coached by my dad, and I’m pleased I’ve acknowledged how good a job he did to get me to that point. I also wouldn’t have wanted anyone else to have done that with me. I will always be thankful for what he’s done for my career.”
photo: Getty Images for British Athletics
See my interview with Jake at https://www.youtube.com/shorts/x6WS9hp67D4
#JakeWightman, #NewBalance, @gamupdates, @mwgam, @newbalance, #britishathletics, #scottishathletics,
