European Indoor Championships 2019: Laura Muir sets sights on more success after unique double-double

The Glasgow University graduate knew she could not let her home crowd down as she followed up her 3000-metres success by storming home in the 1500m on the final night at the Emirates Arena

Muir defended her titles in front of a home crowd in Glasgow (REUTERS)

Laura Muir feared she had bitten off more than she could chew before securing a unique double-double in the European Indoor Championships.

The Glasgow University graduate knew she could not let her home crowd down as she followed up her 3000-metres success by storming home in the 1500m on the final night at the Emirates Arena.

The 25-year-old followed up the double gold she won in Belgrade two years ago by becoming the first person to repeat the dual success.

The qualified vet led from the front and powered away in the final two laps to record a time of 4 minutes 5.92 seconds to finish more than three seconds ahead of the field.

Muir said: "I set myself a big task this weekend and as it came closer I thought 'Oh, what have I done?' Everybody started setting world-lead and national records and the strength in depths of the fields were much stronger than they were last time round.

Muir repeated her success of two years ago (Getty Images)

"But I just knew there's no way I can't win these medals in front of a home crowd and I'm just so pleased I could do that.

"Nobody can take that way - that's it done. Nobody can be the first person again to do it. It's really, really special and I'm so pleased I could do it here.

"All my friends and family were watching out there so to come away with those performances meant so much to me. My training partners, other family and friends, my mum, dad and my gran were out there so it was really special."

Muir - who is the outdoor European champion at 1500m - looked totally in command as she embraced her status as clear favourite.

"I'm so experienced now, I know how hard I can push it," she said. "I'm at that stage now where I am confident in what I can do.

"I have shown I can deal with that pressure. I can't really imagine being in a much more high-pressured environment than the last few days, and I have been cool as a cucumber really."

The next target for Muir is winning a medal at the World Championships in Doha later this year. She won silver and bronze in the World Indoors in Birmingham last year.

When asked what more she needs to do, she said: "To be honest, not much more. I feel it's there now. It's just a matter of maintaining, maintaining and making small improvements if we can.

"Since I finished my degree, we have improved a lot of those little things but they can always be improved a bit more. Nothing is ever going to be perfect. It's a matter of working really hard in the next six or seven months until Doha and just doing what we are doing.

"I have got the indoor medals at European and world stage, I have got outdoor medals at European stage, I am missing that world stage medal and hopefully an Olympic medal, and Doha is that first step. I want to be on that podium."