Wightman wins 1500m silver as Kerr injured in dramatic final

Jake Wightman made his return to a global podium with world 1500m silver, but British team-mate Josh Kerr's title defence was ruined by injury in a dramatic final in Tokyo.

Wightman, the 2022 world champion, achieved redemption on his return to the global stage, having struggled with injuries and missed the past two major championships.

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.

There was heartbreak for Kerr, who was seeking to become only the fourth man to retain the 1500m title, but was denied the opportunity after pulling up midway through the race and managing to hobble over the line.

Kerr, who had positioned himself at the back of the race, pulled up in pain on the penultimate lap but forced himself to limp round to the finish last.

Ahead, Wightman made his bid for gold. Although he came up agonisingly short, it is a second place which will feel as good as first after the challenges of recent years.

Great Britain had to wait until the fifth day of competition in Japan to celebrate medal success, but Wightman's stunning silver lifted them to 17th in the medal table on Wednesday.