ATHLETICS: Muir the merrier but record bid falters

LAURA MUIR ruled Europe last weekend. Now, she has warned her rivals she plans to conquer the world.

And even though her latest record bid came up short in Birmingham yesterday, the Scot reckons she is on track for more success in 2019.

Six days after her golden run in Berlin that scored a first major outdoor title, the 25-year-old kept up her winning ways in the 1,000 metres at the Muller Grand Prix, but her time of 2:33.92 was short of Kelly Holmes’ British best.

Not that Muir will worry too much about that as she plots a crack at the Diamond League title in Brussels on August 31, followed by a dream trip across Canada as a belated reward for her first-class vet degree and a top-class track campaign.

Marks out of ten for the past few months? ‘I’d give it a strong nine,’ she said.

‘Considering the build-up to this season was really tough with my exams, I was healthy and fit. I’m running well and I came away with the main target of the year — being European champion.

‘Next year, the aim is to get on the podium at the World Championships.

‘I set myself targets to compete in the final of all the major competitions. I’ve done that in all five now. But if I can get a medal at the World Championships, that would be great.’

She will back herself in Doha — and again at the Olympics a year later in Tokyo. But at the Alexander Stadium, like so many of the Brits returning from Germany with a hefty chunk of medal in their luggage, there was not quite enough in the tank.

‘I felt in good shape to do it, but it was windy out there. After a lap, I was already having to work quite hard to hit the times,’ she admitted. ‘It was feeling harder than it should have been.

‘Conditions had to be ideal and unfortunately they weren’t. The pacemaker did a great job, but it wasn’t a great day weather-wise.’

Jake Wightman’s charge for history was also thwarted as the European bronze medallist missed out on Tom McKean’s Scottish record in the 800m by nearly two seconds as he finished seventh.

Eilish McColgan, who won silver in Berlin, took fourth in the 3,000m, while in the Emsley Carr Mile, Scottish duo Neil Gourley and Chris O’Hare came eighth and 12th respectively as Australia’s Stewart McSweyn earned a surprise victory.

Eilidh Doyle was fourth in the 400m hurdles in 56.61 secs.

‘Trying to train and get up for this race was really hard,’ she admitted. ‘I wanted to go away and hide for a while rather than come out and race.’

It proved just enough, though, for the 31-year-old to steal a spot in her Diamond League final in Zurich.