Trainee vet Laura is eyeing gold honours
REPORTS LAURA MUIR is dealing with an amazing balancing act as she looks to give Britain a golden start to the IAAF World Indoor Championships which open in Birmingham this evening.
For a few days at least, it is all about winning gold; then it will be back to the biggest challenge of her year, the final few months of study as a veterinary student in Glasgow.
“When I am out training it is always in the background, always knowing you have things to do, but running helps a lot to clear the mind, helps me focus and put things into perspective,” said Muir.
“I have known from fellow finalyear students how tough it is, the long hours involved just doing the veterinary itself. But to combine training, six days a week, multiple times a day…”
Muir, 24, even had to ask for time off to swap the medical uniform for the British kit.
She said: “I had to email the vets to say I have this competition coming up and is it OK if I have a couple of days off. They were fine about it.”
It is probably fitting that at the moment her studies are concentrated on ophthalmology because her focus will need to be at its greatest between now and Saturday evening.
Twelve months ago, with two command performances, Muir won double gold at the European Indoor Championships in Belgrade and now she aims for the same two events again, with the 3,000 m tonight before the heats of the 1500m tomorrow evening followed by the final 24 hours later.
It is a packed schedule, but one that she thrived upon in Belgrade, even though things did not go quite a planned later in 2017 when she failed to win a medal at the world championships in London.
This championship is the biggest challenge of her winter season, having decided not to represent Scotland at the Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast in April as her degree course reaches its final lap. Amid all the expectation in London, she was fourth in the 1500m then sixth in the 5,000m but if anything, her powerful frame and deep intensity is better suited to the indoor scene. She is the European indoor record-holder at 1,000m and 3,000m and the national indoor record-holder at 1,000m, 1500m, 3,000m and 5,000m, along with holding the 1500m outdoor mark. It is only a small programme on the first evening of a championships which GB will be without Olympic, World and European long jump champion Greg Rutherford who yesterday pulled out of the Championships having competed just three times in 2017 before surgery, and wants to be fully fit for the summer. Tonight showcases both high jump finals before the 3,000m at 8.15pm, and Muir will have to dig as deep as ever in pursuit of this title as the field includes Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba, whose world record is 8mins 16.90secs compared to the Scot’s British best of 8:26.41. Dibaba is also world indoor record holder over 1500m with 3:55.17 compared to Muir’s 4:02.39 – not that times ever matter when it comes to a championship race, let alone finals such as these when the noise at the Arena Birmingham will be electric for one of the biggest stars of British track and field. “I’ve raced a lot indoors, I do feel confident and very much at home on the indoor stadiums and I have raced very well. I do feel like I am in my comfort zone,” said Muir. “Doing the double was always something which I thought about. On the first night, you want to set the team up but I don’t really feel too much pressure as I know and I am sure I can do well. “It is a great opportunity for myself and Eilish [McColgan, who is also in the 3,000m] and the high jumpers to put on a good show and have that little bit more attention. It should be a great evening.” In the back of her mind, though, her studies will always be the real priority. “I might bring a few notes down to read,” said Muir. “I managed to attend a few tutorials last week so I am not missing too much. But on Wednesday I was in hospital and Thursday I am at the world champs, so it is a bit surreal.”
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