Jake Wightman smashes 34-year-old Scottish record

Jake Wightman is gearing up for a tilt at the European Championships with confidence after smashing a Scottish record in Stockholm that had stood for more than three decades.

Jake Wightman

The Capital star, 23, beat Graham Williamson’s 1000 metres best which was set at Meadowbank in 1984 by coming third at today’s Diamond League meeting in 2:16.27.

But he will now have the option to rest up ahead of the British trials later this month and his planned bid to land a 1500m slot in Berlin.

“The nicest thing is I don’t have to chase the European qualifying standard because that’s already been ticked off,” he said. “The last few years, that’s been a struggle so this time all I have to worry about is getting sharp for the trials.”

It was one of two Scottish bests in the Swedish capital with fast-improving Edinburgh AC club-mate Beth Dobbin lowering her own 200m mark to 22.83 secs in coming second to Bulgarian Ivet Lalova.

“It is a bit of a blur,” said Dobbin, who only captured the record earlier this month. “It is my first ever Diamond League so I did not put any pressure on myself so a personal best is great and I can not complain about that.”

Lynsey Sharp was fifth in the non-Diamond League 800m in 2:02.78.

Meanwhile, Capital prospect Josh Kerr narrowly missed out on defending his American collegiate 1500m title as he faded to third place in the final metres of the NCAA final in Oregon to lose out to Oliver Hoare.

“It was very tactical and very physical,” Kerr said. “There was a tight pack all the way through. There was a lot of clipping and jumping around. It was a tough race to be in.”

His Edinburgh club-mate Emily Dudgeon was fifth in the 800m at the Atletica meeting in Geneva in 2:06.57.