Laura Muir has her sights set on 1500m gold at the World Championships in Oregon after a much-needed confidence boost in the semi-final… but is wary of some strong competition
- Laura Muir will be bidding to in World Championship goal on Tuesday morning
- She breezed through her semi-final and said she needed the confidence boost
- The 29-year-old will have to fight off Faith Kipyegon and Gudaf Tsegay to win
- Muir said she has learnt to focus on herself and ‘felt smooth’ in semi-final
A World Championship medal is about the only thing missing from Laura Muir’s c.v but the Scot has a great chance to change that in the 1,500m final in Eugene on Tuesday morning.
Muir has finished fifth, fourth and fifth in the past three 1,500m world finals, but the Olympic silver medallist goes into this showdown with renewed confidence after coasting through her semi-final at the weekend.
After some off-colour performances earlier in the season, Muir admitted she came to Oregon short on confidence. However, she looked close to her best as she clocked a season’s best of 4:01.78 to finish second in the semi-final.
Laura Muir will be chasing 1500m gold in the World Championship in Oregon on Tuesday
Muir will have to fight off Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon (left) if she wants to win the gold medal
‘I felt really smooth,’ she said. ‘I was quite nervous for the heat because I hadn’t run a 1,500m and felt good this year so when I ran the heat I was like, ‘‘Okay, we’re fine,’’ and I was a lot more confident. It felt nice and comfortable, which is really good. To run 4:01 and feel my usual self is great.’
But Muir faces a stiff challenge to make the podium, with two-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon of Kenya looking a class apart and Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay another huge threat.
For Muir, 29, the key is to balance her desire to challenge Kipyegon for gold while also making sure that she protects her chances of a silver or bronze — something she couldn’t do in the 2016 Olympic final.
Muir won silver for Great Britain in the 1500m final at last summer’s Tokyo Olympics
Muir said: ‘I think I learned that over the years. You’ve got to just focus on yourself.’
Meanwhile, the championships came to life over the weekend as Fred Kerley led a US medal sweep in the men’s 100m. The 27-year-old clocked 9.86 to beat Marvin Bracy and Trayvon Bromell into silver and bronze.
Kerley, who grew up in a broken home and was raised by his aunt, said: ‘What motivates me is coming from what I come from and not being in the same predicament.’
