TOKYO — Britain’s Neil Gourley believes it’s his time to claim 1500m gold at the 2025 Tokyo World Championships after securing silver at this month’s World Indoors in Nanjing, but he acknowledges that unseating Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen will be a tough challenge.
The 24-year-old Ingebrigtsen clinched gold in three minutes 38.79 seconds in China, with Scot Gourley pushing him closest, taking silver in 3:39.07 after battling to stay in contention when Ingebrigtsen surged ahead midway through the race.
Gourley, 30, said he was ready to take on the challenge of dethroning the Norwegian when they compete again. “It sounds like my turn, doesn’t it? I’m certainly going with that ambition,” he said according to Reuters.
The Tokyo worlds will take place from September 13-21. “It’s going to be incredibly challenging with the level globally right now but I’m looking to go to Tokyo and take my turn on the top of the podium. It’s a challenging one but I’m definitely up for the challenge.”
Gourley added that he was mentally stronger now after overcoming a tough period with mental and physical health issues during last year’s World Indoor Championships in Glasgow.
“Twelve months ago, I wasn’t in a great place mentally or physically. I was quite upset watching the World Indoors happen here in Glasgow because it really would have been special to do it in my home city,” he said.
“Although tough to endure at the time, these experiences can build mental resilience, which I was able to draw on this weekend.”
Norway’s Ingebrigtsen produced a devastating final kick to win the 3,000m at the world indoor championships in Nanjing to keep his quest for double gold on track.
Ingebrigtsen clocked 7min 46.09sec for victory in a thrilling race at Nanjing’s Cube.
Ethiopian Berihu Aregawi, who won 10,000m silver at last year’s Paris Olympics, claimed silver in 7:46.25 after leading for the bulk of the final lap. Australian Ky Robinson took bronze (7:47.09).
Ingebrigtsen will now turn his attention to his favoured 1,500m in a bid to emulate Ethiopian legend Haile Gebrselassie, who achieved the 1,500/3,000m double in Maebashi, Japan, in 1999.
“I don’t enjoy the 1,500m warm-up, but the racing is a lot of fun, and that’s what I’m going to do tomorrow – have a lot of fun,” said Ingebrigtsen according to AFP.
A double Olympic champion and two-time world champion over 5,000m, Ingebrigtsen came into the competition on the back of victories in the 1,500 and 3,000m at the European indoor championships in Apeldoorn.
But, remarkably, a world indoor title had eluded the 24-year-old until he predictably took Saturday’s race by the scruff of the neck in the dying metres.
In his last outing at a world indoors, Ingebrigtsen finished second in the 1,500m to Ethiopian Samuel Tefera in Belgrade in 2022. He then missed Glasgow last year with an achilles heel injury.
“It’s always special to get a world medal, and even more so when it’s one you haven’t got before,” added Ingebrigtsen.
“I would’ve probably wanted to go out to the front a little earlier. I felt like at that point, it’s all about routines and having a smooth feeling.
“I felt strong at the end and generally I have a better finish than my competitors. It was a little bit of a fight, but I was confident that I could make a move in the last 100m and win, and ultimately that was the main goal.”
Ingebrigtsen, as his wont, was happy to sit at the back of the 14-strong pack as German’s Sam Parsons took up the running in Nanjing, splitting the pack into single file.
The Norwegian didn’t linger long after Parsons’ surge, shifting gears to move up through the field to take the lead with 11 laps to go.
Placing himself at the front, free of any potential problem with mid-pack traffic, Ingebrigtsen ceded to the Ethiopian duo of Biniam Mehary and Getnet Wale.
