Hawk Muir hopes for Tokyo success

DUNDEE Hawkhill Harrier Laura Muir is confident she will challenge for the podium at Tokyo 2020 after learning from her Rio near-miss.

The 26-year-old from Milnathort is one of Team GB’s biggest hopes on the track at next year’s Olympics.

She was in contention in the 1,500 metres in Rio three years ago, having been third with 200m to go, but finished seventh after being unable to match the pace when Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon made her move to win gold ahead of Genzebe Dibaba.

Since Rio, however, Muir has been crowned European 1,500m champ, won four European Indoors titles and 3,000m bronze and 1,500m silver at the World Indoors.

Muir boldly said she was in the shape of her life ahead of last weekend’s Anniversary Games, having been able to focus on being a fulltime athlete after graduating as a vet from the University of Glasgow last year.

And, with a year to go until the Tokyo Olympics, Muir is upbeat about her chances of success.

She said: “I know I’m stronger, faster and better at the tactics now than I was at the last Olympics. So going into Tokyo I’ll be in the best position I can be to improve on that seventh and, hopefully, get on the podium.

“It was one of the easiest races to reflect on and get over. I knew if there was a move made I was going to cover it and if I wanted the gold I had to cover it.

“Yes, I maybe lost a medal but I would never have won gold had I not gone with it.

“It’s what I went for and it didn’t pay off but I’m proud I went for it. Hopefully, when I do it next time round I’ll be able to cover it better.

“You can’t control what happens in the race and, in Rio, I made a decision to cover a move and I stand by it. The 1,500m is so unpredictable, you don’t know if it’s going to be run in this time or that time.”

Laura Muir has been in great form.