Dundee Hawkhill Harrier Laura Muirtomiss British Trials for worlds

Care urged after foot injury

Milnathort athlete Laura Muir will miss this weekend’s British Trials for August’s London World Championships but will compete in three Diamond League events next month.

Muir missed two weeks of training this month because of a foot problem and will now sit out the Birmingham event.

The Dundee Hawkhill Harrier has recovered from a stress fracture in her foot and remains “keen” to compete in both the 1,500m and 5,000m at the World Championships, said her coach Andy Young.

Young explained: “She is back in training and running at a world-class pace. She is looking good for the 1,500m and 5,000m. She has got the qualifying times and is keen to do both. It is still over a month away and we have got to be cautious around the foot.”

Muir qualified for the 1,500m by winning last season’s Diamond League event and ran the 5,000m qualifying time by breaking the British indoor record in January.

Meanwhile, the men’s 1,500m is shaping up to be the race of the weekend in Birmingham.

Scot Jake Wightman, keen to make up for missing out on a Rio 2016 place, claimed a stunning win in the 1,500m at the recent Oslo Diamond League recording a personal best time of 3 minutes 34.17 seconds, catapulting himself to the top of the British rankings in the process.

Wightman said: “After missing out on Rio I’ve got to make sure I do everything I can to make myself selectable this weekend.

“Ticking the qualifying standard was one thing that had been avoiding me big time so it was such a relief to get it in Oslo and I’m hoping now that I’m in a good enough position to get the job done at the trials.”

Wightman will be up against fellow Edinburgh AC athletes Josh Kerr and Chris O’Hare, as well as reigning UK champion Charlie Grice.

Kerr completed an impressive USA Colleges double of the indoor mile and the outdoor 1,500m, while O’Hare won the 1,500m at the Boston track championships this month in a personal best 3:34.35.

Also entered for the 1,500m is Rio 5,000m finalist Andrew Butchart (Central AC) who back in February posted 3:37.58 en route to his Scottish indoor one-mile record in New York.

Butchart’s banker event, however, will be the 5,000m, having clocked 13 minutes 11.45 seconds placing fourth at May’s Eugene Diamond League event behind Mo Farah’s winning 13:00.70.

Kinross athlete Eilidh Doyle will be the favourite to win the 400m hurdles following her fine win at last weekend’s European Nations Team Championships in Lille.

Lynsey Sharp ducked under the two minute barrier last weekend at Watford, with 1:59.33, and will start as favourite for the 800m.