Jake Wightman says simply making it to the start line at this month’s World Championships in Japan will feel like “redemption” after his last couple of years were wrecked by injury.
The 31-year-old Scot will be competing at his first major championship since 2022 when he takes to the track in the 1500m in Tokyo.
Wightman won the world 1500m title in Eugene three years ago, but injury robbed him of the chance to defend his title the following year – and he was also forced out of the Olympics days before the 800m in Paris last summer.
“I feel like the redemption is just going to be making that start line to start with,” he told My Newspaper Scotland.
“I don’t feel I am a worse athlete or anything like that – I feel like I have still got more to prove, which is why I have still kept going despite having quite a few setbacks over the few years.
“I am trying not to put any pressure on it. I feel I will run my best if I go into it without expectation.”
Wightman’s injury woes mean he is planning to savour every moment of his major championship return in Japan.
“I probably didn’t realise how low some of those points were until this year when I got back racing,” he said.
“Last year, when I got hurt before Paris, I kind of brushed it under the carpet a little bit and I went on holiday, didn’t really process it much and it was only when I got back racing this summer I was a lot more stressed and anxious about racing because it had been a whole process.”
Despite it all, Wightman rejects the suggestion he is one of the most unfortunate athletes around.
“If you only knew my career since 2022, you would think that I am the most unlucky athlete in the world, but I have been doing the sport at this level since about 2015, so I have had a lot of years where stuff has gone my way and I have had moments that a lot of people would love to have had,” he added.
“So it is not like my career is being defined by low points. I have had some amazing high points with it, so for me that counters these low ones.
“I am a big believer the perseverance will come through at some point and I will be rewarded for still showing up and still putting the work in.”
