Tokyo Olympics – Laura Muir wins brilliant silver in 1500m as Sifan Hassan’s triple bid ends

ByBen Snowball

Updated 06/08/2021 at 16:04 GMT

Muir had suffered so much heartache at major championships prior to touching down at the rearranged Games, but she banished those memories with a brilliant run – a national record – to secure silver behind Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon. You want it? We have it. Stream every Olympic event live on discovery+

Laura Muir’s wait for a global outdoor medal is over after the Briton claimed a brilliant silver in the women’s 1500m at Tokyo 2020.

The 28-year-old was overcome with emotion after setting a national record behind Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, who stormed to victory in an Olympic record of 3:53.11.

Muir clocked 3:54.50 to take second ahead of the Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan, whose historic bid for a 1500m-5000m-10,000m triple came to an end. Hassan, who still has the longest distance to come, won gold in the 5000m on Monday but looked leggy on the final lap here.

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Faith Kipyegon wins 1500m

Image credit: Getty Images

Muir had qualified for the 800m and 1500m, but elected to focus on the latter in a bid to land a long-awaited medal.

The Olympics had already seen Team GB's other nearly woman of track and field, Holly Bradshaw, secure pole vault bronze before Muir's stunning final lap.

Positioned perfectly at the bell, Muir followed Kipyegon past Hassan on the final bend and kicked away down the home straight.

Muir had come agonisingly close to a global outdoor medal prior to the rearranged Games – finishing fifth and fourth at the 2015 and 2017 World Championships respectively, and seventh in Rio 2016 – having won the European 1500m title in 2018.

It was Team GB’s fifth medal on a frantic Friday, following Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald (women's madison - gold), Kate French (women's pentathlon - gold), Jack Carlin (men's sprint - bronze) and the women's hockey team (bronze).

The women's 4 x 100m relay team later added bronze.

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