Team GB's Jake Wightman had to make do with silver as he was pipped at the line by Portugal's Isaac Nader in the men's 1500-metre final at the World Athletics Championships, while compatriot and race favourite Josh Kerr pulled up with an injury.
Kerr began to limp after the first lap with an apparent injury. He continued to run for a while but eventually pulled out. It left a wide open field, and Wightman, the 2022 world champion, looked to take his chance, charging to the front of the pack.
Wightman would have thought he had reclaimed the title as he bolted down the home straight, but Nader reeled him in, winning only with a photo finish.
Kerr fought his way through and finished the race last, clearly struggling, Kenya's Reynold Cheruiyot collected bronze in 3:34.25, and Dutch favourite Niels Laros was fifth in 3:34.52.
Neil Gourley came 10th in the first final the Scottish trio had raced together since the 2019 world championship final in Doha.
Wightman was crowned world champion in 2022, but has struggled with injury ever since, a spell which he admitted had even fractured his relationship with father and former coach Geoff. He revealed he had seriously considered quitting sport altogether if he did not make it through the first heat in Tokyo.
"The only way I could have topped that is with a win, but there is nothing else I could have done," Wightman said. "I literally did everything I possibly could. There's nothing else I could have done.
"It's the same story every year in the 1500 metres. Whoever goes in as the favourite always seems to have a bit too much of a target.
"I don't think one person would have expected Nader to win that and even myself coming into the home straight I felt good, and I thought I'd written my own perfect fairy tale.
"If I look back on this, I never would have expected [it]. I feel like I ran the perfect race for me. I laid all my cards out. It's been so hard this season not to compare myself to where I left off in 2022 because I had some horrible years.
"I probably got a little PTSD, almost, with what happened with these injuries."
Information from PA contributed to this report.