FROM the ancient wide-open fields of Callendar and Bellahouston Park, but soon within the billion-dollar futurism of Japan’s National Stadium on top, a familiar voice from the gods has been the soundtrack to Jake Wightman’s youth and adulthood alike.

Home, and away. No escape, he reflects, with a grin. He would once cringe when his father Geoff pitched up to be the man on the mic for races at his school in Edinburgh. Fast forward, well over a decade hence, and the former Scottish Athletics chief executive will today begin his last rehearsals for calling the track and field action in Tokyo with the best seat in the house once battles commence.

“The nice thing,” says Wightman Junior, “is that I've gotten very used to it because it's been the norm for the last however many champs I've been to. I think if you'd have taken it from him announcing at my school sports day, then to never do it another meet I was in - and then being an Olympic Games, it would be completely overwhelming, a bizarre experience.”

Which Tokyo’s Games will be, of course, compared to his previous engagements as an Olympic chatterbox in London and Rio and various world championships in between. Pre-Covid, his role was part-statistician, part-MC, an orchestral conductor to the crowd. This time, he will be preaching to an absent choir, just as his colleagues have done so far to occasionally surreal effect.

“Normally there’s less people at school sports day but Tokyo may be on a par,” jests Geoff. “But having been at the test event for Tokyo in May, the event presentation will all be now for the athletes and it will be sensational.

“We’ve got an award-winning French DJ on the music. An Australian innovation with ambient crowd noise. I hope it’s great for the athletes. There just won’t be a crowd. Like at school sports day.”

His presence here will make Jake’s appearances over 1500 metres a welcome anomaly. Olympics are habitually as joyous for families as those taking part, those who have supported and shared the journey from its inception taking their deserved seat in the sun. Travel bans compel them to watch from home. FaceTime calls following triumph or despair are no substitute for hugs offered and tears mopped from the front row.

In the squeeze of passes, many coaches too were trimmed from the list. Wightman’s mentor and parent is wrapped up in one package and it has been delivered safely to Japan. “He was more guaranteed than I was,” Jake points out, “because he knew he was doing it years ago.”

The perks from the elder Wightman’s insider status began he was employed by a shoe company as an athlete rep and on occasion instituted Daddy Days when major meetings occurred. Hence Jake’s trips of his youth included the Beijing Olympics and subsequently London too. All areas accreditation for a kid already in thrall.

“The coolest thing was we got to go into the warm up area at Crystal Palace and I remember seeing all the athletes going around,” he recounts. “From the age of eight, it was something I wanted to do just because we had total access to it. But there's definitely been moments on the way where I took for granted how cool an opportunity it was.

“At the 2003 world champs, the first one we went to, Dad was working for Puma. We went to this Jamaican pre-champs party thing. And it was Usain Bolt's 16th birthday. We met him when he was just this kid that had done a little bit of junior racing. No-one else would have access to that.”

At the 2018 Commonwealths on Australia’s Gold Coast, Wightman’s bronze was affirmed by the biggest fan in the park. A repeat in Tokyo, proclaimed on the Tannoy, would be quite the moment for both. Regardless, Jake underlines, they have each come a long way since sport sports days. “I hope,” he declares, “that Dad feels that same sort of excitement and satisfaction from how well we've done.”