Tokyo 2020 - Laura Muir: Team GB runner comes second in heat to breeze into 1500m semi-finals
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
ByEurosport
Updated 02/08/2021 at 06:00 GMT
Laura Muir did not have to exert herself too much to progress to the semi-finals of the 1500m. After a slow start she moved into second spot towards the end of the first lap and maintained her position to ensure her safe passage into the next round. You want it? We have it. Stream every Olympic event live on discovery+.
'This was almost the hardest step' - Muir after finishing second in 1500m heat
Laura Muir breezed into the semi-finals of the women’s 1500m after finishing second in her heat at Tokyo Olympic stadium.
The Scottish middle-distance runner is bidding to win her first ever Olympic medal having come seventh in the 1500m at Rio 2016.
She produced a solid enough display to reach the next round on Monday morning.
Muir was holding an icepack on her shoulder when she was interviewed by Greg Rutherford, but it did not appear to be an issue.
“I was so excited to start my Olympic races so really pleased with that,” Muir told Eurosport.
“It was just a matter of getting safely through and I did that today.
I just had to try and prepare for the heat. Fortunately I’ve been training here for a couple of weeks, training in the morning, so I know I can cope with these conditions really well and this is my only morning round.
“The semi and the final are in the evening when it will be a lot cooler when the sun goes down. In a way this was almost the hardest step."
Muir started relatively slowly in third from the back, biding her time, but after passing the two-minute mark the 28-year-old made her move.
She surged into second place just behind Canada’s Gabriela Debues-Stafford with Ethiopia’s Freweyni Gebreezibeher in third.
Into the final lap and the speed picked up considerably with Debues-Stafford crossing the line in first and Muir in second to make for a comfortable run for the Brit.
Debues-Stafford finished in a time of 4:03.70 with Muir in 4:03.70.
Winny Chebet (Kenya), Sara Kuivisto (Finland), Gebreezibeher and Kristiina Maki also all qualified for the semi-final.
The Brit will expect to face tougher competition in the semi-finals after a relatively straightforward heat.
SNOWDEN ALSO THROUGH, WALCOTT-NOLAN MISSES OUT
Also in the 1500m, Great Britain’s Katie Snowden qualified out of heat 3, finishing sixth in a personal best time of 4:02.77 to join Muir in the semi-finals.
Compatriot Revee Walcott-Nolan faced a nervous wait to see if she would qualify for the 1500m semis as a fastest loser after coming seventh in heat 2 in a personal best time of 4:06.23.
There are three non-automatic qualifiers for the semi-finals, but Walcott-Nolan missed out by 0.01 seconds as Germany’s Caterina Granz crept in by completing heat 3 in 4:06.22.
Beth Dobbin qualified for the 200m semi-finals in second place in heat 6, producing her season best result of 22.78 seconds.
In men’s hammer throw qualifying, Great Britain’s Nick Miller threw 76.93m on his second attempt which was enough to see him take third place in Group A qualifying.
Because Miller did not meet the 77.50m requirement to make the final automatically, he had to wait for Group B to conclude to find out if he would be there.
After Group B qualification concluded, he discovered he was in the final.
Great Britain’s Taylor Campbell was throwing in Group B, but his best throw of 71.34 metres for a 14th-placed finish was not enough.
- - -
Watch every unmissable moment live from Tokyo 2020 across Eurosport, Eurosport app and discovery+. Download the Eurosport app for iOS and Android now.
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement