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World Athletics Championships 2019: Laura Muir suffers more heartbreak after missing out on 1500m medal

The Scot’s gutsy run of three minutes, 55.76 seconds could only deliver fifth place in Doha

Nick Mashiter
Saturday 05 October 2019 19:51 BST
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Laura Muir is held by Gabriela Debues-Stafford after coming up short
Laura Muir is held by Gabriela Debues-Stafford after coming up short (PA)

Laura Muir suffered more World Championship heartbreak as she missed out on a medal despite a hugely gutsy run in a remarkable 1500 metres final.

The Scot ran three minutes 55.76 seconds to finish fifth at the Khalifa International Stadium.

Alberto Salazar-trained Sifan Hassan added to her 10,000m title, claiming an emphatic victory in a championship record 3mins 51.95secs, as the 26-year-old from Holland shrugged off her coach's four-year ban for doping violations.

Muir's preparation had been ruined by a torn calf she suffered at the Anniversary Games in London in July.

The 26-year-old, who came fourth at the World Championships in London two years ago, was unable to run for six weeks, while she had also battled a knee injury and a stomach bug over the last two weeks.

Muir lays on the track after coming up short (PA)

"I don't know what to say - I was fifth in 3:55," Muir, a four-time European indoor champion, said on the BBC.

"To run 3:55 when I missed so much training. I'm just speechless. I'm just so proud of myself.

"I couldn't have asked more of myself than to do that.

"If I can run that sort of time off the amount of training I've done, if I'm 100 per cent fit I'm going to be so confident going into next year."

Earlier, Shara Proctor and Abigail Irozuru qualified for Sunday's long jump final, but Jazmin Sawyers missed out.

Proctor said: "The runway feels amazing. Regardless of the crowd, lack of numbers, the atmosphere is electric.

"I enjoyed being out there. I really had to contain myself as I knew I had a job out there.

"It's the first part of the job done, I had one job and that was to come here today and make the final."

Cindy Ofili came through the 100m hurdles heats, finishing third in 12.97s.

She said: "Things have started clicking for me towards the end of this season and I am so ready.

"I haven't competed in three years at a championship so this is a dust-buster and the jitters are out now."

In the women's 4x400m relay heats Zoey Clark, Jodie Williams, Jessica Turner and Laviai Nielsen reached Sunday's final in 3:24.99.

But the men's team of Cameron Chambers, Rabah Yousif, Martyn Rooney and Lee Thompson failed to qualify.

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