Muir misses out on mile record at Anniversary Games at London Stadium

Hawkhill Harrier Muir admits she got her pacing all wrong in mile race

Dundee Hawkhill Harrier Laura Muir admits she got her pacing wrong after missing out on the mile record yesterday.

The Milnathort athlete was chasing Zola Budd’s 33-year-old British record set in 1985 but fell short to finish fifth in four minutes 19.28 seconds – almost two seconds slower than Budd’s time.

Muir came behind winner Sifan Hassan in the Diamond League race at the Anniversary Games at the London Stadium.

She will be one of the favourites at next month’s European Championships in Berlin but is yet to confirm if she will race the 800m, 1,500m or both.

Dutch rival Hassan will not run in the latter.

She said: “I am little disappointed (not to break the record) but I went through the first half of the race too fast and when you do that, it catches up with you in the second half.

“I know it’s there if I run in a perfect way and I just didn’t run that here.

“I know the form is there. We did well in training but it’s a matter of when you run that fast, you have to be perfect.

“If you’re off even the slightest, you’re going to pay for it. It showed in the latter stages. I just didn’t quite time it right.

“I just went too fast on those first two laps, I tired in the last lap. I’ll work now towards both 800m and 1,500m at the Euros in Berlin.”

The race doubled as a time trial for Scot Gemma Reekie, who, after clocking a time of 4:06.11 at the 1,500m mark, should have clinched her place at the European Championships.

The Kilbarchan athlete went on to finish the mile in 4:27.16.

For Inverness 400m athlete Zoey Clark it was a last chance saloon battle to bag the third individual spot for the European Championships.

Clark and GB rival Amy Allcock shared a time of 51.36, personal bests for both athletes, with the photo finish coming down to thousandths of a second. Stephenie Ann McPherson (Jamaica) won in 50.31.

Also awaiting the selectors’ verdict for European selection today, Scottish 800m record holder Lynsey Sharp enhanced her chances of selection with a thirdplace finish in a season’s best 1:59.34, her second-sub 2:00 in recent weeks.

A few metres ahead, Ce’Aira Brown (USA) pipped Jamaican record holder Natoya Goule, timed at 1:58.57 to the Jamaican’s 1:58.67.

Sharp said: “It was a really good race and I knew I was capable of running 1:58, so I’m not far off it now. I feel I improve every time I race. Things are going in the right direction now.”

Kenyan Emmanuel Korir ran the sixth fastest 800m ever in 1:42.05, with Edinburgh athlete Jake Wightman finishing fifth in 1:44.61.

Fellow Scot Guy Learmonth made his bid for the third Europeans place by coming home seventh in a personal best 1:44.73.

Scottish record-holder Chris O’Hare stepped off half way through the 1,500m after competing in Monaco on Friday night.

The race was won by Olympic 1,500m champion Matt Centrowitz (USA) while Scot Neil Gourlay came eighth in 3:35.98.

Greg Rutherford, meanwhile, confirmed he would not defend his European title, with the British squad announced tomorrow.

The 2012 Olympic champion, who is due to retire at the end of the season, posted two no jumps before leaping 7.55m, having targeted 8m to give him hope of competing in Berlin.

Rutherford only had a slim chance of going to Berlin due to an ankle injury which is causing him severe discomfort.

He said: “Euros are not happening, that’s definite.

“If I spent more time on the runway I could get close but in round three I was in so much pain.

“I can’t expect to do qualification, take a day off and then jump again. I’m not prepared to go to majors to be a tourist.

“There’s not a hope in hell I could get through two days of jumping.”

Katarina Johnson-Thompson cleared 1.95m to come ninth in the high jump as she continues her countdown to Berlin.

Andy Pozzi came fourth in the 110m hurdles in 13.36s – his best outdoor run since the Commonwealth Games after struggling for form this year.

In the men’s 200m, Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake and Adam Gemili came fourth and fifth respectively, while Dina Asher-Smith came fourth in the women’s race.

The GB 4x100m relay squads won their races with the men setting a world lead of 37.61 seconds.

CJ Ujah, Adam Gemili, Zharnel Hughes and Mitchell-Blake cruised to victory, while the women won in 42.36.

Pictures: PA. Milnathort athlete Laura Muir, top, competes in the women’s mile; former Olympic champion Greg Rutherford finished 10th in the long jump as he prepares for retirement; Scot Lynsey Sharp finished third in the 800m as she eyes a place at the European Championships.