JAKE WIGHTMAN picked up his first ever Diamond League win in Rabat on Sunday night to lay down a marker for this month’s British Championships.
The 27-year-old produced a brilliant surge off the closing bend to hit the front and then held off Welshman Jake Heyward to claim victory in 3:32.62.
It was the ideal confidence booster for the Tokyo Olympic finalist as he counts down towards what will assuredly be a competitive domestic scrap in Manchester for tickets to next month’s world championships in Oregon.
“My goal now is to achieve one of the top three national marks to qualify,” he said. “I am super happy for this win.”
Jamaica’s Olympic gold medallist Elaine Thompson-Herah set a meeting record of 10.83 secs to prevail in the women’s 100m while Holly Bradshaw was fourth in the pole vault.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Jemma Reekie bounced back to top form by taking second place in the 800m at the Continental Tour Gold stop in Chorzow.
The Olympic finalist set a season’s best of 1:58.44 to earn a qualifying mark for the worlds in finishing just behind Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji.
“I always try to come out and win but this second place with the fast time is a good result for me,” the Scot, 24, said. “The 800m is stacked and it is going to be really strong this year.
“I have done everything right and trained hard so just trusting in myself and we will see. This event always hurts a lot but it hurts a bit less when you are up there so I am just happy to be here. The 1:58 is definitely a good start.”
Meanwhile Eilish McColgan will make a belated start to her track season over 10,000m at Monday's FBK Games in Hengelo.
The Dundonian, who has broken a string of British records on the roads this spring, will take on Tokyo bronze medallist Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia at the traditionally-strong Dutch meeting in her first proper tune-up for the worlds.
And after missing last month’s UK trials, anything under the qualifying standard of 31 minutes and 25 seconds would likely secure McColgan’s place in the event in Eugene.
She said: “It's actually incorporating the Ethiopian trial for the world champs so you can imagine how incredibly strong a field it is.
“I’m so excited for the opportunity."
In-form Scot Nicole Yeargin will chase a third successive victory of the summer in the women’s 400m.
