Laura Muir 'gutted' to miss out on a medal at the World Championships
The 24 year old led most of the 1500m race but was pipped at the finish
Last updated 8th Aug 2017
Scotland's Laura Muir admitted her injury-lay off could have cost her a World Championship medal after she missed out on bronze by seven hundredths of a second in the 1500 metres.
The 24-year-old, who is a student at Glasgow University, could not hold on in the final 100m and finished fourth in a thrilling sprint finish at the London Stadium having been overhauled by Caster Semenya on Monday night.
Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon took gold in a time of four minutes 2.59 seconds, with America's Jenny Simpson clinching silver in 4:02.76. Muir came home in 4:02.97.
Muir had recovered from a stress fracture in her foot in June and conceded the time out could have made a difference after finishing behind Semenya.
She said: "When you think about it I was in the pool for two weeks and missed sessions for the best part of three weeks, you wonder would that have made a difference? I'm gutted but also appreciative of the opportunity I was given.
"I ran as hard as I could right to the very line but there was nothing I could have done once they came past me. I gave myself the best chance I could, I just wasn't strong enough.
"I think I covered every move I could have done. The other girls were faster on the day and there was nothing I could do about that.
"I was that tired I wasn't thinking about it but I knew when I crossed the line it had just gone. I could tell Caster was a fraction ahead of me. I ran as fast as I could and fourth was what I got.
"I didn't look up on the screen because, regardless of what I saw, I was going to run as fast as I could.''
It compounded Muir's woes after she finished second last at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, following a late collision, and seventh at last year's Olympics - after being in medal contention until the final 200m.
She said: "I've had quite a lot of them (lows) so far. I thought Glasgow at the Commonwealth Games was hard, last year in Rio was hard and now this. I'm a bit up and down but it's hard. I can't say anything more.''
Muir now looks to the 5,000m after a sobering day for Great Britain as Sophie Hitchon finished seventh in the hammer although Danny Talbot, Zharnel Hughes and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake reached the 200m semi-final