Laura Muir vows to put 'most disheartening' performance of career right after Birmingham heats

Laura Muir has a score to settle at the Commonwealth Games.

At just 21, Muir arrived at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow as a rising star tipped to dominate female middle-distance running.

But just as she prepared to make her move in the final of the 1500m, Muir was clipped on the back of her heel and saw her hopes of a medal evaporate.

She pulled out of the 800m the following day and having missed Gold Coast four years ago to focus on her vet studies, Muir was only back on the Commonwealth stage for the first time since in Birmingham in the heats of the 800m.

She will compete in both middle-distance races at the Alexander Stadium and the Olympic silver medallist is keen to put right the wrongs of 2014.

“Being a medal contender and getting tripped was absolutely gutting and I think that’s still the most disheartening performance of my whole career,” she said.

“So, I want to put that right and what better way than to do two events and double the chances to get on that podium.”

Muir was comfortable in reaching Saturday’s final, but will line up without training partner Jemma Reekie, who finished third in her heat and missed out on one of the two fastest runner-up spots.

And having recently won 1500m silver at the World Championships, Muir is confident she has recovered quickly enough to challenge for medals again.

She added: “I headed home straight after the final (in Eugene), I was lucky that it was at the start of the programme, so I’ve had a bit of time to get over it. My training has been good since I got home and if anything, I’m just going to keep getting fitter. I just hope that by the weekend I’ll be in a good place to get on that podium.

“I’ve not run at the Commonwealth Games for eight years. It’s a relatively home-ish crowd, very close so it was too good an opportunity not to do. I feel strong enough and fit enough to do both and run in both.”

Later in the evening Andrew Butchart went in the men’s 10,000m but after staying with the fastest men for much of the race, he faded and finished seventh, with Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo taking the win.

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