I’LL MAKE THE FIRST MOVE ON SUPER SATURDAY
Laura so glad she’s going for gold before Josh on big night at The Emirates
LAURA MUIR and Josh Kerr plan to make it a Super Saturday to remember at the World Indoor Championships tonight and raise the roof with double gold.
Muir is up first in the women’s 3000 metres final at the emirates Arena with Kerr immediately afterwards over the same distance.
it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Olympic medallists to soak up the energy from the home crowd and follow in the footsteps of tom McKean and Yvonne Murray as scots who have tread the boards and landed global glory.
Following his outdoor 1500m world title and his recent two-miles world record, Kerr aims to back up his bold claim that he’s here to win.
And Muir, 30, is relieved the timetable’s allowed her to put her best foot forward first – and then cheer the statesidebased star on.
she said: “i hate sitting and watching other people that i know. Obviously i’m wanting them to do wel but it’s hard watching and to try and keep focus when you’ve got the crowd going mental, because they’re cheering on somebody doing well. so i’m glad i’m first and i can spectate afterwards at the side of the track.
“But it’s exciting. We both raced in Millrose just over a week or so ago. he did so well there. to have a scot have a world record is crazy.
“it’s nice for him to have this opportunity off the back of becoming world champion last year. it’s great to have a world champion on the team, on home soil. i’m superchuffed he’s able to make the commitment to come and do it and he’s fit and fast. it’ll be exciting to watch and i’ve a front row seat, which is great.”
Muir’s eyeing up a world indoor medal hat-trick after her silver and bronze in Birmingham in 2018.
But she admits it’s just one stepping stone towards the year’s big prize of Olympic gold in Paris. that’s the one she really wants.
it will be a red-hot race with ethiopian 1500m rival Gudaf tsegay the quickest woman in the field and Australia’s Jessica hull a force indoors.
it’s the kind of tough battle that will tee Muir up for the summer – whether she finally gets the global gold that has eluded her or not.
she said: “sometimes with the World indoor Championships in the year of the Olympics, some of the events are a little weaker than others. But the 3K is very competitive. it’s going to be hard, which is what i want.
“it’s a difficult event but i’m going to go in there with as positive mindset as possible, to be the best that i can. And one day it would be amazing to get that global title.
“But if i retire tomorrow with the medals i’ve got, i’m still extremely happy with how my career has been. Just because i don’t have a world title doesn’t mean i’m disappointed. i’m incredibly proud of what i’ve achieved and i hope to be running for a good few more years yet.”
With Kerr coming off his world title in Budapest, Jake Wightman currently Down Under to set up his own Olympic shot and Jemma Reekie set to be an 800m contender here, the Olympics could bring more big nights to savour for scottish athletics fans.
Muir’s move to Manchester has given her a fresh lease of life but she’s still got her Dundee hawks vest in her bag and a house in Glasgow that remains home.
it was a huge incentive to be at this showpiece – in a building where she used to train - to inspire and motivate the next generation of tartan track starlets.
she said: “Lots of scots on the team are medallists or multiple medallists or world champions. so it’s an amazing place to be. We need to make the most of that opportunity, to really build on it.
“Keep the momentum going. Keep inspiring the youngsters coming up to follow in our footsteps.”