WORLD ATHLETIC CHAMPIONSHIPS

AT THE OLYMPIC STADIUM T COULD not have been any more cruel for Laura Muir in the Olympic Stadium as another brave front-running effort saw her denied a first outdoor major championship medal by the width of a South African double Olympic champion’s vest.

Just as she had done in the Olympic final last year, the 24-year-old Glasgow University student took it to the world’s finest from the start of the World Championship 1500 metres final in which she had generated high hopes among another bumper crowd.

Not without reason either, that ultimately disappointing seventh-place finish in Rio having been sandwiched between Diamond League wins in London and Monaco, while she had been a dominant figure at the

European Indoor Championship earlier this year when claiming double gold in the 1500 and 3000 metres.

This, though, was a different level of competition as she found herself up against a field of the highest quality which

Iincluded Faith Kipyegon, Kenya’s 23-year-old Olympic champion, Genzebe Dibaba, South Africa’s 24-year-old two-time Olympic 800 metre champion Caster Semenya and veteran American Jenny Simpson, the 2011 champion Knowing she had to do things on her own terms, Muir surged to the lead from the off and, for all that the pace on the opening lap was moderate at around 65 seconds, she looked to be running strongly as she held the lead through the first two laps and beyond.

She was caught out on the back straight on the penultimate lap, however, when Kipegon cut in front of her, allow- ing most of her other rivals to stream. Muir kept her composure and, having found her way back out into the open, was back on the leader’s shoulder by the bell.

As Kipyegon and Sifan Hassan made their push to break clear down the back straight she followed them and the pace told on the Dutch woman.

But Muir also paid a price as Simpson timed her run brilliantly to claim silver behind Kipyego, with Semenya just managing to dip on the line and squeeze Muir out of the medals by seven hundredths of a second.

“All I could do is run as hard as I could and that’s what I did,” was Muir’s immediate post-race assessment, managing to summon up a smile.

She had once again demonstrated her class without coming home with the coveted medal, but as she also pointed out, she is getting ever closer.

“I was fifth the last time [at the 2015 World Championships in Moscow] and fourth here. I’m getting closer,” she said.

That she had missed out to a woman who has been at the centre of continued controversy throughout her top-level career had the potential to make it all the more difficult.

THE questions raised about Semenya have been both cruel and deeply unfair, but Muir, who was not even prepared to offer a comment when asked about the former 800 metre world champion after she had beaten her in the semi-finals, can expect much more rigorous interrogation on the subject.

The difference that personal and public expectations make was, meanwhile, perfectly demonstrated by the chirpiness of Zoey Clark after her individual campaign ended with a seventh place finish in the semi-finals of the 400 metres.

While she has previous experience of involvement in 4x400 metre relay teams at major championships it was a first solo appearance at this level for the 22-year-old who won her first British title in Birmingham last month and she was highly satisfied with how things had gone.

“It was a personal best. I can’t really complain,” after she registered a time of 51.81 seconds, in a race won by Phyllis Francis of the USA in 50.37 seconds, the rise in level demonstrated by that having been the slowest winning time registered in the three semi-finals.

“It was a little messy but I can’t be angry with that. I got more than I hoped for out of it.

“Coming in, I wanted to get used to the experience, use it and learn from it and maybe there’d be an outside chance of getting to the semi-finals. I got a PB. I learnt how to embrace the crowd. That ticks all the boxes.”

The Aberdonian now switches her attention to the team event at the weekend in which Britain has a fine tradition of picking up medals and where she will team up with fellow Scot and Team GB captain Eilidh Doyle.