The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Laura Muir’s fabulous form continues as she wins Diamond race title
Dundee Hawkhill Harrier Laura Muir claimed the overall 1,500m title last night as Zurich’s Weltklasse meeting lived up to its ‘Olympics in one day’ nickname in what was the first of the two Diamond League finals.
Muir followed up last week’s world-leading UK record of 3:55.22 in Paris with second place in Zurich.
Having passed through 800m in 2:08, it was Kenyan Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon that led at the bell, tracked by the Milnathort athlete.
Muir then made her bid leading into the home straight, chased by Shannon Rowbury, with the USA athlete prevailing by a stride in 3:57.78 to Muir’s 3:57.85.
Muir’s 40 points was more than enough to claim the Diamond League crown as nearest title challenger Kipyegon faded to seventh and claimed 36 points.
Muir said: “This is amazing, I never expected anything like this. The World Championships will be at home next year. There is not really something I will need to improve.
“I am the Diamond League champion – this is big, big for me. I did not know at first that I had won the title because it depended if Faith Kipyegon had finished third or fourth.”
Meanwhile Eilidh Doyle (Pitreavie) contested a noncounting 400m hurdles and finished third in 54.55 seconds behind Shamia Little (USA) 53.97 and Olympic silver medallist Sara Petersen (Denmark) 54.22.
The Kinross athlete heads the league standings going into next week’s final in Brussels.
A repeat of the Olympic 800m final saw champion Caster Semenya (S Africa) take the league title in 1:56.44 ahead of Francine Niyonsaba (Burundi) 1:56.76. For a tired Lynsey Sharp it was a race too far and she finished 11th in 2:00.55.
One of the top GB performances came in the 100m hurdles where world record-holder Kendra Harrison won in 12.63 as GB’s Cindy Ofili came second in 12.70.
In the men’s 100m fifth-placed Adam Gemili clocked a season’s best 10.11 with Asafa Powell (Jamaica) the winner in 9.94.
Double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson (Jamaica) prevailed over world champion Dafne Schippers (Netherlands) in the 200m with a Diamond League record of 21.85. Schippers followed to claim the Diamond Trophy in 21.86. Dina Asher-Smith (GB) was fourth in 22.38.