Muller GP looks perfect stage for seven Scots

Wednesday 12th February 2020

Home ground . . . Laura at the Emirates Arena (photo via British Athletics/Getty Images)

Seven Scots are set to compete at the home venue of the Emirates Arena this weekend as a star-studded Muller GP comes to Scotland.

Glasgow will be the place to be in terms of a global focus on athletics with the big names headed here including the likes of Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Mondo Duplantis.

Laura Muir is lined up for the final race of the Saturday afternoon programme – with the event live on BBC – as she takes a crack at the Women’s World Record for the 1000m indoors.

Triple British Record holder, Jemma Reekie, now competes in the Women’s 1500m and it is great to see Nikki Manson on the start-list after breaking the Scottish Women’s High Jump Record (again) last weekend – at 1.93m.

Guy Learmonth and Josh Kerr will be head-to-head in a strong 800m race and Heather Paton is in the Women’s sprint hurdles after already breaking her own indoor record over 60m Hurdles this season (subject to ratification). And Adam Thomas is in the heats for the Men’s 60m.

It’s also a great day for young club athletes with the finals taking place shortly before the main programme for our 4J Studios Club 4 x 200m Relays in the U13/U15/U17 age groups.

All the details on the events coming up are online

Start-lists for Saturday

British Record: ?
European Record: ?
World Record: ?

Can @lauramuiruns deliver on home soil? ?#MullerIndoorGPGlasgow #WorldIndoorTour pic.twitter.com/k2z7kZGlzJ

— British Athletics (@BritAthletics) February 14, 2020

Nikki Manson has been in superb form in the High Jump during the 2020 Indoor Season (photo by Bobby Gavin)

World champion Nia Ali of the United States leads the women’s 60m hurdles, while Ukraine’s Yaroslav Mahuchikh will be one to watch in the Women’s high jump after a brilliant start to 2020 with a clearance at 2.02m.

Nikki is up against Morgan Lake in that event, with both having had strong competitions already so far this year.

Andy Pozzi races in the 60m hurdles and, fresh from an Olympic qualifying mark of 5.80m last weekend Harry Coppell is in the men’s pole vault.

Heather Paton will be looking to progress to the final of the Women’s 60m Hurdles with the heats one of the first events. Heather clocked 8.28 back in January for a new Scottish Record (subject to ratification) after an 8.34 seconds that matched her then PB (and the existing indoor Record).

Laura and Jemma return to the Emirates for competitive action two weeks on from that 800m race which saw the 21-year-old from Kilbarchan AAC land the British Record held by Jenny Meadows.

Both athletes having conducted media interviews over the past few days and have been speaking about Jemma’s progress under the coaching of Andy Young.

LAURA on JEMMA:

‘I’ve trained with Jemma for about four years and she has come on so well. It is credit to our coach Andy Young for the way she has progressed.

I’ve noticed year on year she has been getting closer with the speed stuff. The past six months she has been faster still. But that will help to bring me on.’

JEMMA on LAURA:

‘Laura has taught me everything I know. I came to her at such a young age and she took me straight under her wing.

‘On and off the track I could not ask for a better training partner and friend. She has helped me through a lot and I have helped her through a lot.’

Laura’s Record bid this weekend will be over five laps as she looks to better Maria Mutola’s mark of 2:30.94.

‘I’ve got a British Record and a European Record but I’ve not really had a go at a World Record like this before,’ she told the Sunday Herald.

‘Where better to try and do it in Glasgow, where I did the double at the Europeans last year. I just hope I can have a good go at it because a World Record is never going to be easy to bring down.’