{"id":123850,"date":"2026-06-25T09:33:03","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T09:33:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/25\/why-hat-trick-hunter-jake-is-aiming-high-for-glasgow-2026-and-neil-wants-to-be-a-local-hero-scottish-athletics\/"},"modified":"2026-06-25T09:33:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T09:33:03","slug":"why-hat-trick-hunter-jake-is-aiming-high-for-glasgow-2026-and-neil-wants-to-be-a-local-hero-scottish-athletics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/25\/why-hat-trick-hunter-jake-is-aiming-high-for-glasgow-2026-and-neil-wants-to-be-a-local-hero-scottish-athletics\/","title":{"rendered":"Why hat-trick hunter Jake is aiming high for Glasgow 2026 . . . and Neil wants to be a local hero &#8211; Scottish Athletics"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"meta-date\">Thursday 25th June 2026<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><strong>Jake celebrates Men\u2019s 800m gold at the UK Champs (photo Getty Images for British Athletics)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scottishathletics.org.uk\/saturday-morning\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jakes lands bronze in Birmingham<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Jake Wightman<\/strong>\u2019s weighty CV already boasts a World title and a handful of other significant medals at the very top of global athletics.<\/p>\n<p>Two of those baubles are bronze medals from the Commonwealth Games.<\/p>\n<p>His third place at Gold Coast 2018 was in many ways a breakthrough moment and, four years later, he made the podium in Birmingham only a couple of weeks after that memorable 2022 global gold in Eugene, Oregon.<\/p>\n<p>To say he wants to complete the Commonwealth hat-trick would not be strictly accurate.<\/p>\n<p>Nice though that would be, this renowned championship performer is aiming high . . . victory in the mile at Scotstoun is very much his target.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018It would be good to upgrade from my two bronze medals at the Commonwealths,\u2019 smiled Jake, who won gold in the 800m at the UK Champs last weekend and was one of three athletes pre-selected for Glasgow 2026 last autumn.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I think for me the one thing now is I don\u2019t have the lingering pressure of me needing to win a medal. I have done that (twice).<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I feel if you are ever going to get gold representing Team Scotland then this would be an amazing one to win.\u2019<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scottishathletics.org.uk\/top-trio-names-games\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Trio are first names for Games<\/a><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Jake Wightman looks forward to representing Team Scotland at Glasgow 2026\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sqFqmBduF44?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u2018You get yourself up for events each year and each championships but you don\u2019t need any extra motivation for Scotstoun.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018It is going to be hugely enjoyable for the Mile winner and if I can do that in front of family, friends and Scottish fans that would be very special. Suddenly it now feels very close.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Emerging from the athletics pathway in Scotland some 15 or so years ago, Jake recalled racing Youth Development League fixtures at the Glasgow venue.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I raced Age Group Champs at Scotstoun back in the day and Scottish YDL meets, too,\u2019 he remembered,<\/p>\n<p>\u2018A photo popped up on social media of myself and Neil racing there in an U18 final I think it was. It is funny because we are both back there this time in the Team Scotland colours but the stadium looks a little different.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018But at the core it is the same place and I am sure the trains will still run in the background behind the stand on the back straight.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018So it is a track we are all used to and it will be our people from athletics in Scotland cheering us on, I am sure.\u2019<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scottishathletics.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/babejake.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-116760\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scottishathletics.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/babejake.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"683\" height=\"805\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.scottishathletics.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/babejake.jpg 683w, https:\/\/www.scottishathletics.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/babejake-255x300.jpg 255w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Jake in action at Glasgow 2014 (photo by Bobby Gavin)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>+++<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scottishathletics.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Neil-Gourley-Team-Scotland-01.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-110836\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scottishathletics.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Neil-Gourley-Team-Scotland-01-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.scottishathletics.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Neil-Gourley-Team-Scotland-01-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.scottishathletics.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Neil-Gourley-Team-Scotland-01-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.scottishathletics.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Neil-Gourley-Team-Scotland-01-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.scottishathletics.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Neil-Gourley-Team-Scotland-01-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.scottishathletics.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Neil-Gourley-Team-Scotland-01.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<p><strong>Photo: Team Scotland<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/athletics\/articles\/cyv0m757j9mo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BBC Scotland interview with Neil<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Neil Gourley<\/strong> is working hard to recover fitness after injury in time for Scotstoun.<\/p>\n<p>The Giffnock North AC athlete, who won silver at the World Indoors in 2025, has had a difficult 2026 with two different injuries restricting his training.<\/p>\n<p>Two races in two days at the UK Champs was a step in the right direction in the countdown to the Mile at Glasgow 2026.<\/p>\n<p>In our Birmingham interview, Neil told why it would feel special to represent Team Scotland in Scotland.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Neil Gourley on prospect of racing at Glasgow 2026 after return from injury\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WujxCJJCdqQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tags:<\/strong><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scottishathletics.org.uk\/tag\/commonwealth-games\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Commonwealth Games<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scottishathletics.org.uk\/tag\/glasgow-2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Glasgow 2026<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scottishathletics.org.uk\/tag\/jake-wightman\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jake Wightman<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script>(function ( d, s, id ) {\n        var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName( s )[0];\n        if ( d.getElementById( id ) ) return;\n        js = d.createElement( s );\n        js.id = id;\n        js.src = \"\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_GB\/all.js#xfbml=1&appId=234654626717555\";\n        fjs.parentNode.insertBefore( js, fjs );\n    }( document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk' ));<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scottishathletics.org.uk\/why-hat-trick-hunter-jake-is-aiming-high-and-neil-wants-to-be-a-local-hero\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thursday 25th June 2026 Jake celebrates Men\u2019s 800m gold at the UK Champs (photo Getty Images for British Athletics) Jakes lands bronze in Birmingham Jake Wightman\u2019s weighty CV already boasts a World title and a handful of other significant medals at the very top of global athletics. Two of those baubles are bronze medals from [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":123853,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123850"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=123850"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123850\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/123853"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=123850"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=123850"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=123850"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}