Wightman lambasts poor performance despite making it through to 800m final

Jake Wightman delivered a damning assessment of his European 800m semi-final display despite keeping his medal hopes alive in Munich. The 1500m world champion has opted to run a shortened distance this week at the multi-sports championships in a bid to showcase his versatility and keep his future options open. Ad And it almost backfired on Friday night as Wightman, 28, was forced into a final lap battle to edge into the final.

AthleticsAsher-Smith says European 200m silver does not reflect her fitness levels3 HOURS AGO He hit the throttle when the pressure was on to plough through the field and cross the line in a time of 1:46.61 behind Spaniard Mariano Garcia. Wightman admits he fell well short of the 'perfection' he desired but can take significant confidence from the fitness levels demonstrated off the final bend. The Scot, who won Commonwealth 1500m bronze in Birmingham earlier this month, said: «I actually ran that very poorly.

»I thought I'd screwed it up as I was in such a bad position. «I wasn't good — basically, I wanted to go and be as close to perfect as possible and I thought I'd be alright. »But I was very far from perfect.

I made a lot of mistakes from horrible positions, but the fact I still got through is quite a big confidence boost for me. «But the confidence I've taken is that I must be fit enough if I can come back from that position, because that's not where I want to be. »There's guys that have a lot quicker 400m pace — I don't really know, I haven't run enough 800m to know what I can run this season." Wightman's dad and coach Geoff — who went viral after commentating on his son's breathtaking 1500m world title in the stadium in Eugene — is playing a far more visible role in Germany this week.