Team GB middle distance star Jake Wightman is looking to put injury woes behind him as he seeks to make the most of his Olympic lifeline at Paris 2024.
The 30-year-old thought his dream of a second Olympic appearance was over when a muscle tear in his calf ruled him out of the UK Athletics Championships last month.
But after selection rival Elliot Giles tripped up in the closing stages of the 800m, Wightman received a discretionary pick for Team GB and is now determined to make the most of the reprieve.
“It’s been a big relief to know that I can still go to the Olympic Games and try and achieve what I wanted to,” he said.
“I’m pretty grateful that I got the nod for that. I tried not to think about the alternative, because it would be a bit crushing. Sadly, it’s meant that others have had to have that feeling, which isn’t very nice, especially when they’re people you get on with.
“But the only way you can make sure you feel better is if you go out and perform as well as you can and do it justice, which is what I know I need to do. They’ve given me the chance to compete because they feel I’m the right person to do that, so I’ve got to prove them right.”
Wightman is one 1,100 elite athletes funded by the National Lottery on the World Class Programme, which allows them to train full time, have access to the world’s best coaches and benefit from pioneering technology, science, and medical support.
A world champion over 1500m in 2022 in a race his father Geoff famously called from the commentary box, Wightman is now readying himself for battle over two laps.
“I don’t believe that I’ve ever wanted to just go to the Olympics. It’s about going there and being able to try and come back with something, which is what I still want to try and do, even if it’s not the event I originally thought I was going to,” he added.
“You look at the legacies of Seb Coe, Steve Cram, Steve Ovett and Kelly Holmes, who were able to run over 800m and 1500m, and I don’t see why that has to change.
“If I can win Olympic gold over 800m, that’s almost a better CV than having won two in 1500m – 800m Olympic champion and 1500m world champion is a pretty good career. I’m looking at all the positives that can come from this and it’s a chance to showcase that I can run over both distances pretty well.”
Wightman has had his path to Paris followed by Channel 4 cameras and is one of a number of Team GB stars to be involved in new fly-on-the-wall documentary Path to Paris: The Hunt for Gold, supported by The National Lottery.
The documentary will be aired directly before the Games – with the first Olympic episode being shown on Channel 4 at 5pm on Saturday 20 July, and the Paralympic episode being shown on Sunday 25 August.
Wightman said: “It’s a good chance for us to give full transparency to the rollercoaster of getting ready for the Olympic Games. There’s a lot of ups and downs on the way and hopefully, the viewers get to see that and can know that they’ve played a part as well through their purchasing of National Lottery tickets.
“It means that they’ve been able to provide athletes with a chance to be the best they possibly can be with the ability to go on camps, to get the best support and cover we possibly can when stuff doesn’t go right. It’s the Olympic Games we’re all obviously aiming towards, and the viewers can follow the journey before carrying it on by watching us actually compete, which is pretty cool.”
Jake Wightman features in Path to Paris: The Hunt for Gold – a new documentary, supported by The National Lottery, airing on Sunday 21 July at 5pm on Channel 4. The programme follows British athletes as they prepare for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and offers a unique insight into how National Lottery players support them on their journey.