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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Jane McLeod

Scotland's Laura Muir storms to gold in 1500m Commonwealth Games final

Scotland’s Laura Muir celebrates after winning the Women’s 1500m Final at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham. Photos: PA

LAURA Muir stormed to 1500m gold at the Commonwealth Games to collect her second medal in 24 hours.

The Scot decimated the field at the Alexander Stadium to win on the final day of the athletics.

Muir won 800m bronze on Saturday – after an appeal over the photo finish from Jamaica was rejected – to claim her first ever Commonwealth Games medal.

Just a day later she claimed victory in four minutes 02.75 seconds ahead of Northern Ireland’s Ciara Mageean and Australia’s Abbey Caldwell.

The runner quickly turned her attention to the European Championships in Munich later this month

"Oh my God, the 1500m-800m double,” said Muir, who picked up 1500m bronze at the World Championships in Eugene last month. “Two down, one to go. I came into this year wanting to run at all three and medal at all three. I have done two out of three so far.

“I cannot thank everyone enough for the support, all my friends and family, my coach, my physio. Everybody has just been amazing, I couldn’t have wished for a better support crew.”

She continued: “I think I would have said to the Laura Muir of 2014, ‘Your time will come’ (after finishing 11th at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games).

“It’s rotten at the time but you learn from it and you come back stronger. This meant a lot to me – missing the Gold Coast (in 2018) as well, it’s been bugging me for eight years.

“It is so nice to come here and not just get one medal but two and in such a competitive field. Those girls are fast. It means a lot.”

In the morning session, England’s Matt Hudson-Smith lost out on gold as Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga stunned the 400m favourite.

The 27-year-old – on his home track – had to settle for silver as Samukonga made a late break in the final 50m to go from fifth to first.

He ran 44.66 seconds, with British record holder Hudson-Smith crossing the line in 44.81 seconds.

He said: “I made a commitment to go hard in the first 200m. I tired up around the back. You live and you learn. You’ve just got to push on. I still got a silver medal.

“If you asked people a year ago if I would do this (winning Commonwealth and World medals), I would have said no. It is going in the right direction but there is a lot of work to be done. Stoke the fire and got to keep pushing.

“I’ve never heard of him (Samukonga). At least I took a bit out of him.”

Hudson-Smith at least adds to the bronze he won at the World Championships last month in Eugene.

Yet it continues his Commonwealth Games frustration after he was disqualified from the event in 2018 for running out of his lane.

Hudson-Smith will now look to defend the European title he won in 2018 when he runs in Munich later this month.

In the women’s race, Victoria Ohuruogu took silver with England team-mate Jodie Williams clinching bronze behind Barbados’ Sara Williams.

The women’s 4x100m relay squad of Asha Philip, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Bianca Williams and Daryll Neita took silver behind Nigeria.

In the men’s race Jona Efoloko, Zharnel Hughes, Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake and Ojie Edoburun took gold, defending the title from 2018, in 38.35 seconds ahead of Trinidad and Tobago and Nigeria.

Earlier at the Alexander Stadium, Cindy Sember won bronze in the 100m hurdles with world champion and world record holder Tobi Amusan of Nigeria taking the title in a Games record of 12.30 seconds.

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