LAURA’S PLACING HERSELF
Scot insists any medal would be a success
LAURA MUIR insists it isn’t win or bust in her World Championship bow tonight in Oregon with the Scot admitting any medal would do.
The 29-year-old goes into the heats of the women’s 1500 metres in rude health after a hip injury and with her confidence stacked following her Olympic silver in Tokyo.
The cast of potential challengers, declares Muir, means there’s no such thing as a guaranteed gong.
Such as double Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon of Kenya, defending world champ Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands. Others too.
Muir may need to beat her own British record to make the podium, come the final. But with the Commonwealths and Europeans to follow, ticking off the first part of the treble means she’s kicking off with a lofty goal in Oregon. “To win a medal,” the Scot said. “That’s what I set out at the start of the year – to run at all three championships and win a medal at all three.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to say I don’t want to go for the gold. That would be amazing. But you know, as much as I have a lot of confidence in myself, I am sort of realistic in those terms. And some of the times the girls are running now are faster than what I’ve run.
“Not to say that I don’t think I could run fast and get close to them and match them. But for me I want to I want to come away from this champs with a medal.”
Kipyegon, surely closing on Genzebe Dibaba’s world record of 3:50.07 in what would be an example for mothers everywhere, is the woman Muir truly fears and respects. Over three seconds separated them in the Olympic final last August, gold celebrated as silver was still marching down the home straight.
The world champion in London in 2017 is someone worth watching, the Scot underlines.
Muir said: “I’m potentially a little bit biased but I think, man or woman, she’s the best 1500 runner this world has ever seen. She is an amazing athlete and it’s an honour to run alongside her.”
Also tonight, British medal hopes Reece Prescod and Zharnel Hughes will open up in the men’s 100m heats while Olympic bronze medallist Holly Bradshaw goes in pole vault qualification.