The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Muir takes bronze as Dibaba retains title
Scot pleased with third place finish in world-class field in Birmingham
The women’s 3000m lived up to its billing as ‘the event’ of the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham where Laura Muir claimed a fine bronze medal.
Held as a straight final on the opening night of the championships, the Milnathort athlete made the early running before defending champion Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia moved up from 14th to second as Germany’s European outdoor champion Konstanze Klosterhalfen moved to the front and ramped up the pace after the 1k mark.
With five laps remaining Dibaba – undefeated this season – made her move, opening up a four-metre advantage over world 5000m champion Hellen Obiri of Kenya and world indoor 1500m champion Sifan Hassan (Netherlands), who is now based in the USA with Scotland’s Muir in fourth.
Dibaba gritted her teeth and held her form over the final two laps as Obiri faded and Hassan and Muir fought out the silver medal position.
The Ethiopian punched the air as she crossed the finish line in 8:45.05 to score her third consecutive victory in this event. Hassan drifted over the track, edging out Muir with 8:45.68 to the Dundee Hawkhill athlete’s 8:45.78.
Muir, who took a six-hour taxi ride from Scotland to Birmingham on Wednesday as snow caused her flights to be cancelled, said: “I’m pretty tired. Thank you to the crowd. I was so hurting on the last lap and I just had to dig deep.
“The crowd were great and good on you guys for coming out in this weather as well.
“To get a European medal was brilliant. But that was a world-class 3000m, so to get a third in that field, I am very happy.”
Fellow Scot Eilish McColgan finished up 10th in 9:01.32.
Muir will have another medal chance in the 1500m, with the heats today ahead of tomorrow’s final.
In the men’s high jump Mutaz Essa Barshim failed at 2.36m to hand the initiative to Danil Lysenko (Authorised Neutral Athlete), who had two fails at the same height before sailing over on his third and final attempt to secure the gold medal. It was a disappointing night for GB’s Robbie Grabarz finishing up 11th with 2.20m. Grabarz commented “It’s the lowest I’ve jumped in a long time, nothing to be happy about.”
Having won the women’s high jump title at 1.96 Mariya Lasitskene (ANA) went on to give a demonstration effort scaling 2.01m before failing at a championship record height of 2.07m.
GB all-rounder Morgan Lake cleared a fine 1.93m but had to settle for fourth place.
… that was a world-class 3,000m, so to get a third in that field, I am very happy. LAURA MUIR