Muir aims to make her own memories on world stage

Milnathort athlete relishes chance to shine this summer

Laura Muir admits she was “in awe” while watching Super Saturday five years ago, but is determined to make her own memories in London’s Olympic Stadium.

The venue is hosting the World Championships in August, and rising British star Muir is set to compete in the 1,500m and 5,000m.

The 23-year-old Milnathort athlete won 1,500m and 3,000m gold at the European Indoor Championships in March.

Muir says she is keen to shine at the stadium which was brought to life by Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Greg Rutherford in 2012.

Muir, speaking yesterday from her training base in Arizona, said: “I sat at home and watched it (the London 2012 Olympics) on TV. It is kind of surreal, because at that point in my career I didn’t really ever see myself getting to that level, so I was watching it sort of in awe, never expecting myself to be in their shoes.

“I remember watching, especially Super Saturday, and seeing the reaction of the crowd,” she said.

“And I think for myself and many other athletes it will be a great opportunity for us to kind of step up and take over, I guess, from the likes of Mo (Farah), Jess (Ennis-Hill) and Greg (Rutherford) – hopefully we will see the next generation coming through.”

Muir, who has set five British and two European records since finishing seventh in the 1,500m at Rio 2016, is confident about how things are coming together for her.

“I think I am physically and mentally prepared really well for London and we will take a lot of what we did in the European Indoors forward,” she said.

“Before, I used to get really nervous and didn’t deal with the pressure very well.

“But now I am taking it in my stride and seeing it more as support than pressure,” said the Dundee Hawkhill Harrier.

“I know the more relaxed I am, the better I race, so I am trying to take quite a relaxed approach. Preparation is going really well and I have a lot of faith that we will have everything in place come racing in the London Stadium.

“I have been improving so much year upon year, becoming more and more experienced, and I think that is showing.

“We (her and coach Andy Young) are trying different things to adapt to different situations and I’m so much more confident in terms of my tactics.”

Muir has her first outdoor race of the season at the end of this month at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meet in Eugene.

She will subsequently be competing twice in London – at the Anniversary Games in July, where she will attempt to break Zola Budd’s British mile record, and then the World Championships.

Muir is set to go up once more against Ethiopian world record holder Genzebe Dibaba, who was second in the Rio race.

Dibaba’s coach Jama Aden was arrested in June last year as part of an anti-doping investigation, and Muir admitted after the race in August she had her “doubts” that it was completely clean.

Asked if she had concerns about that in terms of London 2017, Muir said yesterday: “I think all I can do is just focus 100% on myself.

“I know I’m a clean athlete and I work very, very hard. I think you just have to focus on your own performances and I know I’m training as hard as I can, and hopefully that will bring me the results I would like.”

I have been improving so much year upon year, becoming more and more experienced, and I think that is showing. LAURA MUIR

Picture: Bobby Gavin/Scottish Athletics. Laura Muir with her Euro 17 medals.