Magnificent Muir lands British and Scottish Records

Saturday 23rd July 2016

Laura Muir claimed the British and Scottish records with a superb Diamond League win in the Olympic Stadium in London.

The Scot clocked a remarkable 3.57.49 to win from Sifan Hassan and break the British best set by Dame Kelly Holmes some 12 years earlier at the Athens Olympics.

Muir, of course, was the Scottish National Record holder herself from Monaco a year ago (3.58.66) but went faster this time with an imperious run which offered great promises for the challenges of Rio – as she heads to her first Olympics with GB and NI.

It was a decent night for the Scottish contingent with Eilish McColgan setting a PB in that same 1500m race – with the fifth best run of all-time – and Jake Wightman performing really well in the Emsley Carr Mile for fourth place, a PB and fourth equal on the Scottish all-time list. Eilish clocked 4.03.74 with Jake at 3.54.20.

Muir commanded the attention, however, as she went to the front when the pacemaker dropped out and never looked like relinquishing that position despite pressure from Hassan before then stretching her lead. Holmes clocked 3.57.90 in Athens at the 2004 Olympics.

Many congratulations to Laura, her coach Andy Young, her family and all involved in her development from scottishathletics.

‘I’m in really good shape and the pace was good,’ said the 23-year-old, who was fifth in Beijing last summer at the World Champs.

‘The third lap I just had to keep working hard to make sure I brought it home. The crowd were amazing, I just can’t believe it’s over and done with already!

‘Breaking the British record blows my mind a bit. I haven’t run a fast 1500m this year so I wanted to go out there and show the world what I can do, I think the performance shows what I’m capable of. My last race wasn’t a great one but you can’t get much better than tonight.’

Jake Wightman – fine Mile PB

McColgan was seventh in the 1500m race with Steph Twell at 13^th in a SB of 4.06.20. Both, of course, are preparing for the 5000m at the Olympics. Chris O’Hare was in the Mile race with Wightman and finished 12^th in 4.02.54 .

‘You forget how nice the track is and the atmosphere that surrounds it, I am so pleased with the way I ran and glad to get a PB too,’ said Wightman, whose time is the same as Frank Clement’s on the all-time list.

‘As I am not going to Rio, it is important to have something to keep me motivated throughout the season and I feel like I’ve just about done that today.’

And Eilidh Doyle wasn’t best-pleased with fourth place in the Women’s 400 Hurdles as she clocked 54.70.

‘I just felt a bit tired coming into the home straight, the opposite to how I felt in Monaco (Diamond League),’ said Doyle. ‘I clashed arms with someone after the final hurdle and that threw me. I concentrated a bit too much maybe, and mucked it up really.’

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Nick Percy – superb year

A few hours before Laura Muir’s Scottish Record, Nick Percy once again delivered a big discus throw.

The Nebraska-based Scot has been re-writing the discus record book over the past few months and his latest effort was out at 63.38m at an event in Helsinki.

Subject to the usual ratification procedures, that will be a new National Record for Nick in a year where he won the NCAA title and the British Champs in Birmingham.

Well done to Nick, his family and his coach on great throwing and we look forward to him throwing at the Scottish Seniors at Grangemouth in August.

Tags: Dame Kelly Holmes, Eilish McColgan. Steph Twell, Jake Wightman, Laura Muir, London Diamond League, Nick Percy