Former Teddington-based athlete, Jake Wightman, achieved a silver medal in the 1500m event at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Wednesday, 17 September.

The 31-year-old collapsed with exhaustion after crossing the line before staring up at the big screen, which revealed Portugal's Isaac Nader had pipped him to gold by two hundredths of a second in a thrilling finish.

It was a massive achievement for the 2022 World Champion, as he missed the last two major championships following a series of serious injuries.

Speaking to BBC Sport about his achievement, Wightman said his world 1500m silver medal felt like gold after making his return to a global podium.

He added: "It will take a while to process this. I'm a big believer that you get what you put in at some point. I'm just very, very happy that all the persistence has been well worth it.

"I felt like I had another gear through the rounds. All I'd said was that I would hit the front at some point. I did not know what would happen and I nearly got there.

"For me this is a gold. Just getting on the start line at a championship final is a gold.

"I went into it with a bit of freedom that whatever would happen, happens."

Wightman's medal was the first medal for Britain at this year's championships.

The athlete moved from Teddington to Manchester at the end of last year to return to training following his injuries.