World Indoor Athletics Championship: Laura Muir relishing Olympic ‘stepping stone’ as Scot bids for home gold
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Updated 05/04/2024 at 09:53 GMT
Laura Muir can become the first Scottish athlete in 31 years to claim a World Indoor gold at this weekend's Championships in Glasgow. The 30-year-old is "incredibly excited" for her home event, which she is using as preparation for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. “I go into an Olympic year in the best place I could be and this championship is a huge stepping stone."
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Laura Muir is “incredibly excited” for the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Glasgow, which the Scot will use as a “huge stepping stone” ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
She will bid to become the first Scottish athlete in 31 years to seal a World Indoor gold medal in front of a home crowd.
Muir will compete in the 3000m event this weekend instead of her usual 1500m run, as the 30-year-old looks to bolster her endurance ahead of this summer’s Games.
“I'm just so chuffed that I can be here and competing,” Muir told the BBC. “I've never had a global championships in Scotland before. So it's incredibly exciting.
“The European indoors in 2019 was really special,” she added, reflecting on her gold medal victory in Glasgow five years ago.
“It's my home track and I've got so many fond memories there both training and competing.”
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Scotland , United Kingdom - 3 March 2019; Laura Muir of Great Britain celebrates after winning a gold medal in the Women's 1500m finals during day three of the European Indoor Athletics Championships at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo By S
Image credit: Eurosport
Following a difficult year for Muir, the Inverness-born runner admitted she was “so happy” to be where she is going into the Olympics.
“I go into an Olympic year in the best place I could be and this championship is a huge stepping stone towards Paris this summer,” Muir explained.
“That is the big goal for this year, so I am keeping this championship in perspective.”
Despite her high hopes, Muir knows that she will face the toughest of competition in Paris.
Muir labelled Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon - who heads the 1500m field - as "arguably the greatest 1500m runner, man or woman, there's ever been".
Muir posted the sixth fastest time this season, but fancies her chances against the world record holder.
“That makes it a bit tricky, but it's an amazing era to be running,” she said. “She is running fast, so I will have to run faster if I'm going to get close to her.”
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