Local star Elliot Giles on why he will bounce back stronger after brutal Commonwealth 1500m final

Elliot Giles vowed to come back stronger after playing his part in a miracle men’s 1500m final at the Commonwealth Games.

The Handsworth star stepped up from the 800m distance over which he is a European medallist for an epic metric mile showpiece.

With his top-end speed from the shorter distance Giles pushed a brutal pace in the early stages alongside South Africa’s Mafori Mphahlele.

They were then overtaken by Kenya’s Abel Kipsang who took the field through 400m in a brutal 54.87, nearly a second faster for the opening lap than the recent World Championship final.

Giles couldn’t hack the pace in the latter stages but still emerged with a lifetime best clocking of 3:33.56, one of eight in a field of 12 to run personal bests in the final.

He said: “It was awesome to be a part of, I just lacked the last 200. I went with it, I committed, it was good.

“I’m gutted I died down the last 200 but they are some of the best in the world but I’ll be back next year. Those boys better watch out.”

Kipsang was joined at the front by 2019 world champion Timothy Cheruiyot with newly crowned world champion Jake Wightman and Australia’s Hoare hanging on for dear life.

Wightman found his sweet spot on the back straight but kicked earlier than he did at the Worlds and was then reeled in by Cheruiyot and Hoare with 30m to go.

Hoare won gold in a time of 3:30.12, breaking the Games record held by legendary Tanzanian Filbert Bayi since 1974, with Wightman settling for bronze.

“I didn’t want to do the 1500 because I just couldn’t face it again,” said Wightman. “I went from that to being ready to do it and wanting to win it.

“I’d hate to have been running the 800 or not running at all and watch that race thinking I’d loved to have been in it for a shot of winning it, so I put it on the line.

“In that race, I put myself in a position where I could have won it or ended up with nothing. I could easily have come away with nothing.

“I hope I don’t get shot down too much for not having won it being a world champion, but I don’t think people really realise how much of a high that was and having to reset.”

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