Defeating the reigning Olympic champion to win a World Championship gold medal is a feeling few athletes in the world get to experience, but Jake Wightman is unique in doing it with his own father commentating on the race live in the stadium.
Dad Geoff, who is also Jake's coach, has been a fixture for decades in athletics stadiums and is long used to calling the races of his son, and he never reveals their familial connection, according to RTE.
But the tough old professional allowed himself a brief moment at the end of Tuesday's 1500m final, announcing to the Hayward Field fans that Jake is his son and he is the world champion. He quickly moved on to covering the last round of the men's discus, showing the true professional that he is.
World champ says it is cool to have his dad calling his race
The younger Wightman was emotional when talking after his brilliant, tactical win over Norwegian favorite Jakob Ingebrigtsen, saying that he hopes that was the highlight of his dad's announcing career, though he thinks his father would still probably say it was Mo Farah in the 2012 Olympics.
The newly minted world champ said his dad had called so many of his bad races, so he thinks he probably needs to celebrate this one now. He added that it is cool to have his dad calling the races, which is perhaps unique in any sport.
Lovely scenes were witnessed on the track at the end of the night with Wightman and both of his parents hugging and posing for photos with the gold medal, which has been a long time coming for the British star who is anything but an overnight sensation, according to the Express.
The 28-year-old said it is nice to reflect on his dad's work to get him to this place because it might never happen again as the sport moves on fast. He added that today, tomorrow, and this next week is a good chance for them to reflect on it all.
Wightman surprised he held on for the gold medal
Wightman felt the whole thing was still surreal two hours after his gold medal win. He felt all the way down the home stretch that somebody would catch him. Usually, track athletes have a big screen ahead of them, and they can see what is happening behind them. However, that was not the case at Hayward Field, with the screen located at the other end, according to the Guardian. Wightman was stunned that Ingebrigtsen had not hauled him in for the gold.
He said he was still in disbelief, and the moment had not sunk in. He added that he couldn't wait to see his phone when he could speak to friends, family, and all the people who have helped him over the years to get there. Jake said that to be a world champion is beyond words, and whatever happens the rest of his career, he is that.
