Scots are ready to make a strong French connection

Laura Muir believes her long lockdown spell with Jemma Reekie helped both unleash the form of their lives during this Plan B summer.

With a string of personal bests from the training partners already in the bag, the Scots have taken the Olympic replacement bus service to France for tonight’s Marseille Meeting.

Muir will chase her first win over 800 metres of the year while Reekie is out for a first sub-four minute mark in the 1,500m in a field that also includes Eilish Mccolgan.

And the decision to sequester together in Glasgow for three months was a massive factor in keeping their approach on track, Muir said.

The European champion said: “I guess we were lucky that we were at home but the weather was good. We just had to do what we can. We had gym equipment in the house.

“We’ve lived together before at camps and got on really well. We’re both very chilled and relaxed and tried to deal with the situation as best we could.”

Reekie, who won on her previous 1,500m in Bydgoszcz a fortnight ago, has been one of the revelations of the summer with further proof that she can cope with the expectations of being part of the elite.

At 22, the one-year delay to the Olympics may prove to be a huge advantage in her favour with the programme set for both by their coach Andy Young followed to the letter even when the tracks at their Glasgow University base were chained shut.

“It was pretty easy,” Reekie insists. “We’re so used to being away together at camp so it just became camp at Laura’s. We both get on really well. We had all our normal stuff at home.

“I had my dog with me. We just had to train separately. That was the only way to do it. But we were both happy to do that. It was enjoyable as well.”

The European Under-23 champion has become the latest in a string of big names to withdraw from this weekend’s British Championships in Manchester.

Personal best: Laura Muir.