MUIR CAN REIGN FOR TEN YEARS
Coach Young tips Laura for ‘a decade of medals’ after cross-country victory
ADECADE’S worth of medals, just waiting to be plucked out of the rarefied air. If Laura Muir is all too aware of the down-and-dirty road work needed to reach such heights, she certainly isn’t about to lower her sights from the stratosphere.
The fact that glory is absolutely within the grasp of this young Scot — the mere possibility that she can be not just an Olympic and world medallist but a champion — has got to be a reason to embrace 2017 as a sporting year of massive hope.
‘Medals are very much within her grasp,’ said coach Andy Young, who saw 23-year-old Muir interrupt a heavy training schedule to fly around the final leg in Saturday’s 4x1,000m relay at the Great Edinburgh Cross-Country,
‘I remember we talked around 2013, when everyone was saying it was time for her to win a gold. I had to tell people just to hang on a minute, that she was still a kid — and that 2017 would be when she was in the mix.
‘Yes, she was running amazing times and she had all the physical gifts. But I always thought 2017 was when she would begin to challenge, aged 23 or 24.
‘As it happens, she was in the mix earlier. But now she’s got the experience of three global championships under her belt, starting at 19.
‘This year, I would be disappointed if we didn’t come away with a medal or two, anyway. The mental side has developed over the last few years. Back in 2013, she wasn’t used to it all. Last season, you saw how she had developed. She is one of the strongest, mentally, on the circuit. We’re just moving on to the final stage.
‘But you’ve got another decade of medals to come from her, touch wood. So, while it feels like she’s been around forever, she’s really just burst onto the scene in the last three or four years.
‘So hopefully we’ve got another 10 or 12 years racking up championship medals.’
Muir looked so smooth, so composed, so physics-defyingly quick over the turf at Holyrood Park that it was almost impossible to believe that she’d put in a huge performance indoors less than three days earlier.
Last Wednesday night, she beat Liz McColgan’s 25-year British record for the indoor 5,000m — one that had stood for two years longer than Muir has been alive.
Physically able to double up at 5k and her favourite 1,500 discipline, Muir clearly wants to do both at the World Championships in London this August.
As she heads to South Africa for altitude training tomorrow, the world’s top-ranked metric miler will be working towards a double goal.
Those who already specialise at the longer distance might be expected to give this interloper the cold shoulder. Or at least to feel a little grievance about such a stellar talent suddenly trampling all over ‘their’ territory.
Steph Twell isn’t like that, though. She works on the basis that a rising tide lifts all boats. The former Commonwealth Games 1,500 metres bronze medal winner in Delhi seven years ago was among the first to contact Muir with congratulations on her record-breaking midweek outing. ‘I might have to go back to 1,500,’ said Twell with a laugh. ‘No, I’ve done that sort of pattern myself, back in 2010. I always knew that a record was coming for Laura. I didn’t realise it was going to be last Wednesday. ‘It’s inspirational to think that a British female, a Scottish female as well, is doing that in such a great strong team. You can tell a lot from what she’s chosen to race and what she’s choosing to do, how she’s done that — and I think there’s a lot to take from that. ‘When you see how Laura does it, you think: “Why overcomplicate things?” She does make it look very simple. So I kind of think about how you strip back and make it even simpler.
‘Maybe it is just a case of putting one leg in front of the other. After that, I think it is consistency — and Laura’s demonstrated huge consistency. Continually performing at the highest level, I think it gives you that confidence and that experience. It’s amazing.
‘Is she a champion in the making? I think so. That’s the next natural progression for her. An Olympic champion? Anyone running those times, with some more experience, then absolutely.
‘Everyone’s got to dream like that. I would never rule Laura out.’
I had always thought 2017 would be the year she started to challenge