The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Muir’s emphatic victory sets new record for meet
Scot on blistering form but no regrets about wait for Olympics
Laura Muir didn’t just squeeze out her third successive win of the summer last night in Poland. She strangled the life out of her opposition with yet another pulverising finish.
The European champion bolted to victory in the 1,500 metres at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in Chorzow, setting a meeting record of 3:58.24, with fellow Scot Eilish McColgan fifth.
Only Muir herself has gone quicker in 2020 and it was her 14th time ducking on to the four-minute mark. She ended a second clear of Poland’s Sofia Ennaoui after surging to the front with 350m left.
On this form, the real shame is that this is no longer an Olympic summer and the 27-year-old must wait another 11 months to chase the medal she covets most. But the prospect of Tokyo 2021 is not sitting on her mind.
“I’m not into thinking so far ahead,” said Muir. “I prefer to concentrate on things closer to the time. Because so much can happen. Nobody would have thought we’d be here six months ago.
“So first things first, I want to be fit and healthy. I have the Olympic qualifying standard but you still have to run trials. You still have to tick the boxes.”
McColgan, Muir’s Dundee Hawkhill Harriers clubmate, held on to clock 4: 06.25, revealing the calendar shake-up has forced her to abandon a half-marathon debut this month.
Guy Learmonth was third in the men’s 800m in 1:45.57, his quickest time for over two years.
Kenya’s Ferguson Cheruiyot passed Wesley Vazquez in the closing stages to win the race but the Borderer’s mark still only moved him up to sixth in an ultra-competitive UK rankings.
Elsewhere in Chorzow, Germany’s Johannes Vetter’s 97.76m was the second longest javelin attempt in history.
Chris Bennett believes his silver in the hammer at the British Championships was a near miracle after being locked out of competition for almost six months.
The Rio 2016 Olympian threw 68.84 metres in Manchester on Saturday to finish second to Craig Murch.
But it has been all change, revealed the 30-year-old, who had to wind back his training to pay the bills.
“I work in Tesco now as a delivery driver and I have been working 50 hour weeks,” he said. “We have not had restrictions on training but we have not been allowed on to the tracks.
“The plan was not to compete this year, and I am 19kg down in weight from when I last competed.
“I am in good shape physically but lacking the competition sharpness.”
Bennett was among just eight Scottish medallists over two days with most of
the leading lights staying away. And Neil Gourley is set to call time on his campaign after the world championship finalist suffered a stunning reverse to unheralded George Mills in slipping to silver in the 1,500m.
The 25-year-old said: “I am pretty sure this will be the end of my season as I need to take some time off to reset.”
Jake Wightman will carry on to the Czech Republic despite losing out in the 800m final to fast-improving Dan Rowdenwhoclaimedamajorscalp– and then credited the Edinburgh’s middledistance maestro as his inspiration.
Rowden said: “Jake has been an inspiration. Brits have done incredible things in the past in distance running – Coe, Cram and Ovett. To see a Brit really pushing among the big dogs of the world over middle-distance events gives you the belief that other Brits can do it, too.”