Hamstring injury forces 2022 1500m world champion to withdraw from Paris, while Elliot Giles is called up as a late replacement
A hamstring injury has forced Team GB’s Jake Wightman to withdraw from the men’s 800m at the Paris Olympics, with Elliot Giles being called up as a late replacement.
Wightman, who won the 1500m world title in 2022, had been due to compete over the two-lap event when the heats begin at the Stade de France on August 7, but his run of terrible luck with injuries has struck again.
A foot problem thwarted the 2022 European 800m silver medallist’s hopes of defending his world title in Budapest last year, with fellow Edinburgh AC athlete Josh Kerr succeeding him on top of the global podium.
A calf injury then prevented Wightman from contesting the 1500m at the British Olympic trials, which meant he received a discretionary selection for the 800m. He has not been able to take up that place, however, and Giles will now take part in his third Games, having competed in Rio and Tokyo.
Elliot Giles and Josh Kerr fall (Getty)
Speaking in the run-up to Paris, Wightman admitted there had been huge frustration at being denied the chance to defend his world title.
“It was cruel in a lot of ways,” he said. “You get given that title of being the best in the world on that day and then not being able to get back to that point in that event [was hard]. I was content enough with it last year because I was like: ‘Whatever, I’ll be there in the mix in Paris over that distance against Josh, against Jakob [Ingebrigtsen], against everybody else’.
“I always believed that and even from Eugene, where I ran okay, I knew that I had a fair bit to go still to be able to be at my best and then I was not be able to show that. I think it’ll be hard when the 1500m final goes off in Paris. It’ll be what I initially thought was going to be the pinnacle of my season, but I’ve had a lot of time to realise that that isn’t the case now. It just is what it is.”
With World, European, Commonwealth and world medals already to his name, Wightman had been hoping to complete the set in Paris. However, Giles will now team up with Ben Pattison and Max Burgin to carry British hopes.
The 2016 European bronze medallist had been unlucky to miss out on Paris, a spectacular tumble that also involved Kerr at the UK Championships in Manchester halting his chances of making sure of a spot. He is now making a swift detour to France.
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