Why the future of British athletics is looking bright following World Championships in Oregon

Great Britain and Northern Ireland will leave North America with 7 medals, including gold, silver, and five bronze medals, leaving them eleventh overall in the medal table.

The team improving on their performance in Doha in 2019 by a medal, but a few months ago the possibility of seven medals sounded far-fetched.

After securing a silver medal at the 2021 Olympics, Laura Muir’s dreams of doing the same in Oregon looked to have been shattered by her injury woes. The Scot had to endeavour to find her full fitness, revealing she was unable to run for eight weeks in preparation for the games due to a leg injury.

The 29-year-old battled through her struggles to compete and earn a superb bronze medal in an enthralling 1500m race.

One of the stars of the team is Dina Asher-Smith, winning the 200m gold three years ago. After an excruciating injury pull-out of the Olympic games a year prior, it looked unlikely that Asher-Smith would find her form for July.

The 26-year-old would have wanted a straightforward few months of training before the championship in a bid to find her best. Her preparation was then tragically affected by the loss of her grandmother in May.

Asher-Smith showed her courage and strength to finish 3rd in the 200m in a star-studded line-up, which included Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson, and Elaine Thompson-Herah - proving her quality to her doubters once again.

The moment of the championship for Team GB and one of the shocks of the ten days was the 1500m gold medal for Jake Wightman. Wightman and compatriot Josh Kerr were both in the running for a medal, but few could have predicted the final outcome.

The supremely talented Jakob Ingebrigtsen controlled the race from the front but with 250m to go, the Scot made his move and held off the Norwegian to claim gold. It was Britain’s first gold in the event since Steve Cram in 1983.

Wightman’s disappointment of his 10th place in the Olympics last year was quickly washed away with his stunning 3:29.23 winning performance.

The moment was made even more special, with Wightman’s father and trainer Geoff Wightman voicing the stadium commentary - befitting the tireless work the pair have put in over the years.

One runner, who finally fulfilled his potential was Matthew Hudson-Smith. The 27-year-old burst onto the scene in 2014, winning the European 400m silver medal. It seemed like the sky was the limit for the young man.

Since then, Hudson-Smith has revealed the personal issues he had to contend with due to his numerous injury problems. The British 400m record holder disclosed that he attempted suicide, but the Birmingham-born runner has overcome these difficulties emphatically.

The Brit claimed third place in the 400m, a medal that did not seem possible to him a few years earlier. His potential finally was realised.

The 800m was pinpointed as an area where Britain could pick up some medals. In the female race, Keely Hodgkinson was 0.08 seconds away from a gold medal. The 20-year-old picked up another silver medal and continued her growing rivalry with Athing Mu.

In the men’s event, hopes were attached to the young Max Burgin who was coming into Oregon with the world leading time. Devastatingly, Burgin was forced to pull out from the 800m heats with deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Six months ago, it looked like it would be a real struggle to match or improve on the medal tally of 2019. The team accomplished this and have plenty to be excited about for the 2023 event in Budapest.

Had it not been for the sensational running of Wightman, the team would have left the US with zero gold medals. However, the flourishing potential of Hodgkinson and Max Burgin will provide the UKA with confidence for next year.

The UKA will dream of another historic moment like they witnessed in the 1500m, in Hungary - proving why they need to continue to back Team GB and help produce superstars.