Neil Gourley Explained

Neil Gourley
Birth Date:7 February 1995
Birth Place:Glasgow, Scotland
Sport:Athletics
Event:1500 metres
Education:Virginia Tech[1]
Collegeteam:Virginia Tech Hokies
Club:Giffnock North Athletics Club
Coach:Mark Rowland (2019–)[2]
Ben Thomas (2013–2018)
Gordon Lockie (–2013)

Neil Gourley (born 7 February 1995)[3] is a Scottish middle-distance runner specialising in the 1500 metres. He won the silver medal in the event at the 2023 European Indoor Championships and bronze at the 2015 European Under-23 Championships.

Gourley is the European indoor record holder for the mile and the British indoor record holder for the 1500 m. He is a three-time national champion (1500 m).

Career

Neil Gourley won the bronze medal in the 1500 metres at the 2015 European Under-23 Championships.

He competed collegiately for the Virginia Tech Hokies, where in 2018 he anchored the men's distance medley relay team to an NCAA championship title.[4]

In 2019, Gourley reached the final of his specialist event in front of the home crowd at the European Indoor Championships in Glasgow but was unable to compete in it due an illness.[5]

On 25 February 2023, the 28-year-old broke Josh Kerr's British indoor 1500 m record with a time of 3:32.48 for a win at the World Indoor Tour Final in Birmingham, replacing him at No.8 on the respective world all-time list. Gourley's success secured him also overall 1500 m World Indoor Tour victory, after his mile win in Boston, MA and runner-up mile finish in New York, NY (with a European indoor record over the distance) earlier that month.[6] [7] In March, he claimed the silver medal in his signature event at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul behind only Jakob Ingebrigtsen, 3:34.23 to 3:33.95.[8] It was Gourley's greatest sports achievement up to that point.

Later that year in May, Gourley opened his outdoor season with a 5000m personal best of 13:16.[9]

After winning the 1500 metres gold medal at the 2024 British Athletics Championships, Gourley was subsequently named in the Great Britain team for the 2024 Summer Olympics[10] where he finished 10th in the final.[11]

Achievements

International competitions

Representing /
2015European U23 ChampionshipsTallinn, Estonia3rd1500 m3:45.04
2017European U23 ChampionshipsBydgoszcz, Poland4th1500 m3:49.53
2018World CupLondon, United Kingdom3rd1500 m3:53.24
2019European Indoor ChampionshipsGlasgow, United Kingdom8th (h)1500 m3:46.631
World ChampionshipsDoha, Qatar11th1500 m3:37.30
2021European Indoor ChampionshipsToruń, Poland12th1500 m3:45.99
2022World Indoor ChampionshipsBelgrade, Serbia6th1500 m3:35.87
World ChampionshipsEugene, OR, United States14th (sf)1500 m3:37.22
European ChampionshipsMunich, Germany8th1500 m3:38.40
2023European Indoor ChampionshipsIstanbul, Turkeybgcolor=silver2nd1500 m3:34.23
World ChampionshipsBudapest, Hungary9th1500 m3:31.10
2024European ChampionshipsRome, Italy9th1500 m3:34.11
Olympic GamesParis, France10th1500 m3:30.88
1Did not start in the final

Personal bests

Circuit wins and titles

National titles

Notes and References

  1. Web site: College bio . 10 March 2019.
  2. Web site: Power of 10 profile . 10 March 2019.
  3. Web site: Neil GOURLEY – Athlete Profile . . 1 January 2023.
  4. News: Gretschel . Johanna . 9 March 2018 . VA Tech Men's DMR Wins Program's First NCAA Title In Distance Event . en . . 30 April 2023.
  5. News: Smith . Tyrone . 4 March 2021 . Gourley out to 'right wrongs' in Poland . en . . 12 February 2023.
  6. Web site: Whittington . Jess . 25 February 2023 . Tsegay threatens world indoor 3000m record, as tour titles are won in Birmingham . 25 February 2023 . World Athletics.
  7. News: Nelson . Craig . 25 February 2023 . Hodgkinson, Asher-Smith & Gourley set British records . en . . 25 February 2023.
  8. Web site: Wilson . Jeremy . 4 March 2023 . Neil Gourley targeting Jakob Ingebrigtsen scalp after narrow 1,500m second . 4 March 2023 . . 0307-1235.
  9. Web site: Jardine . Peter . 2023-05-29 . Neil leads the way with 5000m PB amid top class performances . 2023-06-07 . Scottish Athletics . en.
  10. Web site: Kerr & Johnson-Thompson head GB Olympics athletics squad . BBC Sport . 6 July 2024.
  11. Web site: No regrets for Gourley after 10th place. BBC Sport. 9 August 2024.