Mariano Garcia, famed for his motorbike moves before starting his races, cruised to gold at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 26, becoming the first Spaniard to win the men’s 1500m title.

Since winning the world indoor 800m title in 2022 Garcia, now 28, has endured several years of injury but his career is now back at the heights.

And he produced a performance of poise and confidence to take this race on from the start and finish beyond the reach of a talented field that included the Portuguese athlete seeking to add a world indoor gold to the world outdoor one in Tokyo last year, Isaac Nader.

Nader turned on his trademark power over the final 100 metres but he was unable to make any impression upon the man who had floated clear of the dawdling pack from 300 metres in.

Garcia looked over both shoulders so vigorously with 35 metres to go that he looked momentarily as if he might put himself out of his stride, but he resumed before crossing the line in jubilant fashion in 3:39.63.

Nader, who had spent much time manoeuvring and running wide in order to tee up his challenge, looked deflated as he crossed for silver in 3:40.06.

By contrast, the bronze medallist – Australia’s Adam Spencer – looked elated as he sneaked through on the inside to cross in 3:40.26 after it looked as if third place was being disputed by Sweden’s Samuel Pihlstrom, who finished fourth in 3:40.59, just 0.004 ahead of the Dutch European indoor 800m champion, Samuel Chapple.

"It's my first year seriously preparing for the 1500m and what better way than winning a world indoor championships?” said Garcia after becoming the first athlete to win world indoor titles at 800m and 1500m. “Hopefully, in the coming years I will stay at this level because I'm still a rookie; they don't really know me yet. In this race, nobody had me under control but I think from now on my rivals will be watching me more closely.

“I just wanted to sneak into the final and see if I could fight for a medal, but when I found myself leading, I said that now I can fight for gold.

“In the end, that is exactly what I did. I was ready even for Nader's kick. That is why I made a very long attack. It was a bit risky but I'm in a very good physical shape."

A despondent Nader commented: “I'm disappointed. If you are the world outdoor champion, your goal is to always win the race. Silver doesn't feel good enough. It's a very difficult situation knowing that you gave so much and got so little in return.

“My goal was to make history and become only the third athlete to win both the indoor and outdoor world 1500m titles. Today, the Spanish athlete was better but it’s sport and I made a tactical mistake. I planned to be on the front of the race in the last 200m but I didn't do it.”

Spencer added: "I cannot believe I have a world medal now. I started my year with a slow 3000m, which would not have got me anywhere close to qualifying for this event. My goal for this race was to stay near the front and not make too many moves.

“The way the race developed, I stayed a bit further back but thankfully things opened up towards the end and I managed to get through. I have lots of experience from the NCAA, where races are often tactical, so that helped.”

Mike Rowbottom for World Athletics

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