Laura home in sixth in her 20th consecutive final at major championships

Tuesday 22nd August 2023

Photo by Mark Shearman

Laura Muir had to settle for sixth place in the Women’s 1500m final at the World Champs in Budapest.

Kenyan favourite Faith Kipyegon reigned supreme once again as she pulled away from the field over the last lap for a dominant win.

Laura, fifth at the bell, couldn’t maintain contact over the last lap as the pace picked up and was left to come home in sixth place as the best of the three GB and NI finalists.

The multiple medallist has shown remarkable consistency over the years and the World Champs 2023 final was in fact her 20th in a row – not having missed a single final since the 2014 European Championshups in Zurich.

That nine-year streak continued . . . but the path to the podium was too tough this time for the GB and NI team captain.

Kipyegon won it in 3:54.87 with Ethiopian Diribe Welteji taking the silver in 3:55.69. There was an emotional brozne for Sifan Hassan, who fell over in the 10,000m final, in 3:56.00.

Laura clocked 3:58.58 with Ireland’s Ciara Mageean in fourth and Katie Snowden in eighth. Mageean set a new Irish Record.

‘I would love to be on the podium, of couse I would, but women’s 1500m globally at the moment is very strong,’ said Laura.

‘I thought I positioned myself well. It was slow and I was covering moves and things. Then the last lap was crazy.

‘It is just another one of those crazy finals. When the break came around the bell I wasn’t quite able to go with it.

‘But I felt like I won before coming into this race because I am happy. It has been hard but I can’t thank the number of people that have supported me – it has been amazing. These two Katie Snowden and Melissa Courtney-Bryant) have done great, I am so proud of them.’

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Tags: Budapest, Laura Muir, Wolrd Champs