Track ace Laura brilliant in Berlin
Milnathort star follows Doyle’s medal success
Laura Muir led from the front en route to clinching European Championships 1500m gold on a memorable Sunday night in Berlin.
The Milnathort track ace’s time of 4:02.32 held off the challenge of Poland’s Sofia Ennaoui and Great Britain team-mate Laura Weightman.
Determined Muir kicked on as she entered the final lap and was roared down the home straight to a first major outdoor title.
“I wanted to make it a true 1500m race, not an 800m race,” Muir told British Athletics after the race.
“That’s why I took it on further out. I just had to trust my pacing to judge it right, but I did and I’m really happy.
“It’s one thing being fast on paper, but in 1500m there are so many different ways [to win], so to come here and deliver gold is great.
“I think it ranks at the top [in regards to other achievements].
“I delivered well indoors, but to deliver outdoors and for it to be gold when you’re under quite a lot of pressure is a big achievement for me.”
Muir’s success came hot on the heels of Kinross star Eilidh Doyle, formerly a teacher at Perth Grammar School, securing 4x400m relay bronze.
Doyle ran the final leg to storm home in third before celebrating the moment with team-mates Zoey Clark, Anyika Onuora and Amy Allcock.
Securing a medal - a 16th at a major championship - was special for the 31-year-old after a disappointing eighth place finish in the final of the 400m hurdles.
“I was just trying to hang on. This is the best way to come back after I had the disappointment of my individual,” Doyle said after bringing GB home in style.
“To get the opportunity to go out and redeem yourself on the track, I just knew we were capable of getting a medal.
“The other girls are great in that situation – they’ll pick you up and they’ll support you to get out there and have another opportunity.
“I knew it would be tough, there were four or five teams there who could potentially win.
“To win a medal is a nice end to the champs for me.”
Sunday night’s action brought the curtain down on the multi-sport 2018 European Championships in Scotland and Germany.
Golfing history was made as part of Glasgow 2018 when the European Golf Team Championships - the only new sport event in the programme – pitched up in Perthshire.
Players from 15 nations competed for medals at Gleneagles’ PGA Centenary Course across the innovative format which included men’s and women’s team events as well as a revolutionary mixed team format.
Iceland’s Valdis Thora Jonsdottir, Birgir Hafthorsson, Olafia Kristinsdottir and Axel Boasson won the mixed team event.
The silver medals went to a determined Great Britain team of Michele Thomson, Connor Syme, Liam Johnston and Meghan MacLaren.
In a nail-biting final, Sweden won gold in the inaugural women’s team championship.
Their third string team of Linda Wessberg and Cajsa Persson narrowly beat France’s Justine Dreher and Manon Molle on the second extra hole.
And in the men’s final, the Spanish team of Pedro Oriol and Scott Fernandez clinched the title.
Eilidh Doyle (right) celebrates her 4x400m relay bronze with Zoey Clark, Anyika Onuora and Amy Allcock Laura Muir with GB team-mate Laura Weightman, who secured bronze