Reekie sets target on Olympic medal next
ATHLETICS
THE latest stop on Laura Muir and Jemma Reekie’s lucrative grand tour of Europe hits the Czech Republic tonight, with the Scots duo again out to divide and conquer.
Fresh from setting the second-quickest 1500 metres time of the year in Poland on Sunday, Muir drops back to 800m at the Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava.
While Reekie, who has matched the European champion’s three-race winning streak, will take another crack at breaking the four-minute barrier for the first time over 1500m.
The 22-year-old has the ideal rabbits with Kenya’s Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon in the field as well as fellow Scot Eilish McColgan and newly-crowned British champion Laura Weightman.
Now among the elite following a sensational 2020, few would doubt that Reekie is in the mix for an Olympic medal, whether in Tokyo or Paris beyond.
She said: “I can say ‘that’s definitely the target.’ Even going into my last few races indoors, I was going in more confident. I was staying relaxed rather than panicking.”
Muir, ranked third in the world over two laps, gets a rematch with Poland’s Sofia Ennaoui, who was second to the 27-year-old two days ago.
While Jake Wightman bids to rebound from his surprise defeat in the men’s 800m final at the domestic championships on Saturday with another outing over the distance in a race that incorporates UK No.1 Elliot Giles and Scottish rival Guy Learmonth.
Wightman said: “I feel like doubling up between the 800m and 1500m is how the old school middle distance used to run and I put myself in that category. Which is why I don’t like being called 1500m guy stepping down to a 800m runner. I am a 800m runner as well.”