Laura Muir's 'hardest journey' ends in sadness at World Championships

On the track where she won Olympic silver four years ago, the 32-year-old looked comfortable for much of her heat, sitting on the shoulder of triple Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon. But on the final straight, her legs betrayed her and the Kinross veteran finished a disappointing eighth in a time of 4:05.59, nearly eight seconds off her season’s best.

A calf tear and Achilles injury earlier this season had left Muir playing catch-up, but she felt she was back in form to challenge for a final in the Japanese capital, leaving her at a loss as to what had gone wrong.

She said: “It was probably the hardest journey I've had to get to a championships. I’m gutted really. I’ve worked so hard to get back here and I know I’m in really good shape so it’s frustrating to come here and not do what I know I can do.

“I was ultimately aiming to make it to another final and be competitive in that final so to not make it out of the first round is disappointing because it’s not where I am at. With 500 to go, I didn’t feel great but there are loads of times in a race when you don’t feel great and you just push through it, so I didn’t think about it.

“I thought sometimes these things happen. That last 100 it made it apparent that it wasn’t ok. It’s a bit frustrating when you don’t know why it’s not come together. When there is a reason, it’s easier to accept it. At least I finished the race in one piece.”

Wallace also misses out

Fellow Scot Erin Wallace, in her major championships debut, suffered a similar fate as she finished eighth in the opening heat in 4:06.07 to miss out on the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, Inverness’ Megan Keith put her Olympic heartbreak behind by finishing 10th in the 10,000m final. The 23-year-old finished last in Paris last summer due to an ankle injury and crossed the line in tears.

“On paper I'm happy with the result,” she said after fighting back from four months on the sidelines. “I wish I could have had more legs under me to fight a bit harder in the closing few laps but I'm I am really happy, especially after a tough one in the Olympics and a tough last year.”

Elsewhere, Nicole Yeargin was part of a disappointed mixed 4x400m relay squad that finished fifth in the final. Yeargin was born in America but races for Britain through her mum, who is from Dunfermline, and ran the final leg after teammates Lewis Davey, Emily Newnham and Toby Harries.

"My split wasn't what I wanted it to be, I should have had more confidence in myself to overtake on the back stretch,” she said.

Together, we make the important things happen – on the track, in business and in life. As a trusted finance partner, Novuna helps millions of people and businesses everyday across the UK achieve their goals. Find out more www.Novuna.co.uk and @_novuna