Laura Muir thrilled to have inspired next generation in Glasgow

By James Reid in Glasgow

Laura Muir hoped she had inspired the next generation of athletes by competing at a home world championships.

Muir finished fifth in the 3000m at the World Athletics Indoor Championships, with the Scot unable to keep up with the rapid pace of the leading pack despite the roar of the home crowd.

Elle St. Pierre took gold in a championship record time of 8:20.87, edging out 5000m world record holder Gudaf Tsegay in a thrilling sprint finish.

Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech, herself a world record holder in the 3000m steeplechase, took bronze in a reflection of just how strong a field Muir had to contend with.

But the 30-year-old insisted her first success was laying down the foundations of future Scottish athletes by appearing in Glasgow.

“It’s lovely, it’s a very privileged position to be in and that’s why I wanted to come here and do my bit today,” she said. “If I have inspired one kid today, then that’s job done.

“I want to be seen, I want to be relatable and hopefully kids go to this track and say I’m running where Josh [Kerr] ran or Laura ran.”

Muir received a rapturous applause from the Glaswegian crowd on her return to the city where she competed her veterinary degree alongside her training but was ultimately unable to raise the decibel levels any further with what would have been a third world indoor medal.

The Olympic silver medallist arrived in Glasgow in fine fettle having clocked a British and European record of 9 minutes 4.84 seconds in the two-mile in New York last month but was quickly left chasing the leading pack of St.Pierre, Tsegay, Chepkoech and Australia’s Jessica Hull.

But Muir was confident she is still in good shape to go one better in the summer and grab gold in Paris.

“It was fast, I tried to run my own race as best as I can but it was just so fast from the start. I think I ran the best that I could and that’s all that I can ask for,” she added.

“3km is a weaker side in terms of my endurance and my speed so I just wanted to work on that during the indoor season and make that a lot stronger ahead of the summer and the Olympics.

“That field was really strong in both strength and depth, that was one of most competitive fields out there so it was going to be a hard race but I didn’t want to shy away from that, I wanted to run hard and get a lot of out it and I think I did that.

“I know my endurance was the weaker side so that’s why I entered the 3km to work on that. I am really fit, really healthy, and in a good place ahead of the summer for us to put on that extra bit of speed an intensity, I think it will be really exciting.

“It has never been so competitive, I am running against the best there has ever been. It is good to be competitive and fit and healthy ahead of the summer. Everybody is running so fast, it is great to be a part of it.”

Muir was one half of a Scottish double billing on Saturday night alongside compatriot Josh Kerr, who won 3000m gold to the delight of the home crowd.

And Muir believes her fellow Scot, who claimed outdoor 1500m World gold last year, is all set up to do something special at this summer’s Olympics, where he will go head-to-head with defending 1500m champion Jakob Ingebrigsten.

“To be a back-to-back world champion ahead of the Olympics is very special but to do it on home soil, that’s so unique and so special so I am so glad he was able to come here and race,” she said.

“I was chuffed I was running before him so I could watch him.”

The world’s best athletes head to Scotland for the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24 from 1-3 March and you can keep up to date with the latest on the World Athletics website, its associated platforms and via broadcasters around the world.