Laura Muir to kick ahead after learning harsh lesson in Rio

Laura Muir claims she is ready to lead the coming generation of British athletes on a glory hunt after learning from the harsh lessons of coming up short at last summer's Olympics.

Laura Muir is all set at Holyrood Park

The 23-year-old from Kinross runs the 4x1km relay in Holyrood Park today, less than 72 hours after smashing the UK indoor 5000 metres record in Glasgow.

It’s a positive start to 2017, insists the Scot, who also took Kelly Holmes’ 1500m mark last year. But what matters most, she admits, is converting potential into medals.

“Physically it’s all there. It just takes time to get yourself mentally ready for these things. It’s easy to forget I came on the scene very quickly in terms of moving up to the elite level. I was still catching up in terms of the racing side, I could run so fast but I missed out on the experience of racing.

“So it’s been a case of catching up in terms of tactics and the mental side, and physically. I feel now, the last few months, it’s all come together as one and I’ll be able to make a good stab for medals this year.”

Muir is set to double up over 1500 and 3000m at the European indoor championships in Belgrade in March and again over 1500 and 5000m at August’s World Championships in London, with Mo Farah – a master of twin challenges – backing her plans.

“It is do-able,” he said. “I don’t know what the timetable is like but for me it suits me running the 10,000m and having a couple of days off and doing the 5 but I’m sure her coach will plan and see if it is possible. It depends on the timing – as long as it is not on the same day, which I’m pretty sure it is not.”