Former world champion is making one final throw of the dice with a big move north as he bids to make it back to the top
Jake Wightman has admitted that another major injury could spell the end of his athletics career. The 2022 world champion’s body has repeatedly betrayed him since he famously struck 1500m gold in Eugene – a serious foot injury wrecking his 2023 season before a calf niggle kept him out of this year’s UK Championships, followed by a hamstring strain that ruled him out of the Paris Olympics completely.
“If I have another big injury or setback, I’m not sure I can come back again as it would be my body telling me that ‘this is it’,” says the 30-year-old in an exclusive interview in the October issue of AW, out now. “But I believe that if I make these changes now then I can get back to where I need to be.”
The changes Wightman is referring to involve uprooting his life and moving from Teddington in south London to Manchester. He will continue to be coached by his father, Geoff, but the move is primarily geared toward being closer to his physio, Alex O’Gorman.
“My dad’s training works for me,” says the European and Commonwealth medallist. “It gets me fit. I just need to work on being able to withstand it in the current state relating to my age and body.
“I’d love still to be based in Teddington, but for the remainder of my career I’ve got to make some changes. I moved to Teddington to be near my dad for coaching and the training facilities but things change and for me now the therapy is the No.1 thing.”
Jake Wightman (AthleticsImages)
Wightman is now setting his sights on making it to the LA Olympics of 2028 and, though he is already making plans for what he may do with his life beyond athletics, there is still unfinished business on the track.
“If you do the same thing again and expect the same results, it’s the definition of insanity so I’m excited to move and looking forward to the change of scenery,” he says. “I’ve been up [to Manchester] a few times to make sure it’s where I want to go. I think it’s got a lot going for it and I feel it will serve me well for the remainder of my career.
“I hope, in a year’s time, I can look back and know that this was the right decision to make. I needed to do something different as my body is getting problems too often.”
Was retirement an option? “If I’d been sub-par and raced badly or not made a team because I’d not run well enough then I don’t think I’d have carried on beyond this year,” he says. “But because I’ve seen enough glimpses that I’m still the athlete that I believe I am, I want to make sure I have a career where I still have chances to show that.”
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