Jake Wightman targeting summer hat-trick after being inspired by Lord Coe

New world champion Jake Wightman is targeting a summer hat-trick after being inspired by Lord Coe.

The 28-year-old, who won a shock 1500m title at the World Championships last month, is plotting more success ahead of the start of the athletics at the Commonwealth Games on Tuesday.

Wightman starts his Games campaign on Thursday, ahead of Saturday’s 1500m final, and will compete in the 800m at next month’s Europeans.

World Athletics president Coe, who won two Olympic 1500m titles, believes Wightman could become Britain’s most successful middle distance runner with next year’s World Championships and the 2024 Olympics in Paris to come.

Wightman said: “He was one of the validations I needed to be doing the 1500m at Commies. Initially I thought I would do the 800m, I didn’t think I could come back out and do another 1500m at champs.

“It’s not even dealing with the pressure but mentally getting up for it, the warm up, the rounds. I dreaded having to do it again.

“When I read the articles (on Coe) and spoke to a few people, the realisation was it was a good opportunity and what would he have done in that situation?

“He would have tried to take as many titles as possible.

“Part of me realised pretty quickly I would hate not to be on the start line on the 1500m and challenge for the win. This is a pretty unique circumstance to come away from the Worlds and Commies win in the same year.

“The motivation I have is ‘how much better can I make this summer?'”

Wightman has been in demand since his shock win, when he outkicked Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the final 200m at Hayward Field.

Dad and coach Geoff commentated inside the stadium, also propelling him into the public eye, and Wightman has had to wrap his head around the