WE NEED TO KEEP TRACK OF VIEWERS

NEIL GOURLEY trusts the eyes of the nation will be on the world athletics championships when they kick off tonight in Tokyo.

- BY MARK WOODS

But the Glaswegian, 30, also fears the sport is drifting too far off the radar, with calls for new formats to get the younger generation on board.

The men’s 1500 metres, which starts tomorrow, will be one of the highlights with Josh Kerr and Jake Wightman taking the title back to Scotland over the past two editions.

But even with the BBC and TNT both screening the showpiece, fellow 1500m hope Gourley is worried about track and field's dip in visibility.

He said: “It does seem like the general public are more interested in a cyclical nature where it’s a big deal at the Olympics and then less so in between times.