TOKYO 17.09.25, 14:20, 3:35.56Neil Gourley hits top ten in the world
An appreciation from Giffnock’s wordsmith, Croy Thompson.
The gun goes and 14 men race into the World Champs 1500 Final. Three of them are Scots and one of those Scots is Giffnock North AC’s very own Neil Gourley, there by right after a rock-solid heat and a hard-fought semi-final. In amongst most of the planet’s finest middle distance runners, Neil settles towards the back of the pack. Through 400 in 59 seconds, everyone tightly together … through 800 a tick under two minutes, Neil still steady at the back, keeping an eye on everyone … at the bell he shifts up to seventh, yes Neil … the leaders accelerate, Jake Wightman hits the front, faster, faster … Neil’s working so hard but everybody else is too … come on Neil! In a blistering last 100, Isaac Nader outdips Wightman for gold – the only time the Portuguese athlete has led … three minutes 34.10 seconds for the win … Neil is tenth but what a tenth … just 1.46 seconds behind the winner, so stacked is this race with talent: 1.77 seconds covers the first twelve, all finishing like trains. Wow. Once again, Neil does club and country proud. In a typically honest post race interview, Neil called it straight: “The legs just didn’t have it.”
What a journey, what an athlete. Thank you Neil (and your family) for the thrills, spills, ups, downs, medals and more that you have given us … so far! The same goes for Erin Wallace, who made us equally proud on her appearance on the world stage in the women’s 1500.
Onwards! To next year’s Glasgow Commonwealth Games and beyond … Nanjing Indoors 2026, Beijing 2027 and Los Angeles 2028, anyone? Maybe some of our athletes fancy joining Neil and Erin on the start lines?