Muir says lessons learned from 'rollercoaster year'

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Laura Muir after winning European indoor gold in March

After the most turbulent season of her medal-laden career, Laura Muir can see the bigger picture.

"Probably, in the last six months, I've learned the most about myself that I have in my entire life," said the 30-year-old.

"It's been a rollercoaster but we're at a high point now and I'm very happy with where I'm at."

The Olympic silver medallist, winner of world bronze last year, begins her latest bid to make a World Championships podium on Saturday.

But Muir would see any medal in Budapest as a success in a year of significant change away from the track, after she unexpectedly split with long-term coach Andy Young.

There was no contingency plan in place when Muir and team-mate Jemma Reekie prematurely left a training camp in South Africa following a falling out in March.

She had simply put her happiness first.

"I've learned a lot, a lot that will do me a lot of good going forward," said Muir.

"Not just for my running career but I think in my life as well."

She added: "Happiness is the secret to everything, I think. If you're a happy person, you'll be a successful person.

"Just be happy. It sounds simple but it's so important."

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Selected as Great Britain's captain in Budapest, Muir will attempt to earn a third successive global outdoor medal following her achievements in Tokyo and Eugene.

Last year's gritty third place behind Kenya's Faith Kipyegon and Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia came after she had narrowly missed out on a medal at the previous three world finals, where she finished fifth, fourth and fifth.

Muir will once again come up against double Olympic and world champion Kipyegon, who broke the world record in June, and world 5,000, champion Tsegay - in addition to Olympic 5,000m and 10,000m champion Sifan Hassan in a stacked event.

"I think about the championships before and how stressed and miserable I was and still I was able to produce," said Muir, who won European and Commonwealth gold last summer.

"Regardless of how these championships go, it's going to be a win."

She added: "Considering how difficult this year has been, I'd be over the moon [with a medal] no matter what colour.

"Obviously, I'm going to the championships ready to go and I want to win a medal, that's definitely where my aspirations are."

The uncertainty 2023 has brought understandably led to inconsistency in Muir's performances.

The Scot, who won a British record fifth European title at the indoor championships prior to leaving Young, lost her British title in July and admitted there had been "a lot going on" behind the scenes.

Her 1500m best of three minutes 57.09 seconds arrived in her season-opener at the Florence Diamond League, where she finished a distant second as the record-breaking Kipyegon clocked 3:49.11, and ranks as the seventh fastest time this year.

But after a disappointing sixth-place finish in Stockholm and defeat by Katie Snowden at the national championships one week later, Muir showed a return to form in breaking Zola Budd's 38-year British mile record in Monaco last month to complete her World Championships preparations.

And while it has been a far from from ideal build-up for Muir, who is now guided by UK Athletics' World Class Programme endurance performance manager Steve Vernon, this challenging chapter is one which she is confident will only benefit her long-term.

"I'm so lucky to have the support I've had and being in this place sets me up to actually perform so much better at the championships too," Muir said.

"It's definitely going to be difficult. It's going to be the first time to have different circumstances since I started my career, since the European Indoor Championships in 2013.

"When I left Andy, I didn't have a plan going forward but I knew just any situation was better than the situation I was in.

"Steve, with his role, was overseeing things for me and I knew we just clicked. It just really, really worked and I was very happy working with him.

"We've been working really well together and I'm really, really happy that he's wanted to do it. That's been a massive help."

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