by Stuart Weir
Stuart Weir, recovering from surgery, is covering the UK Athletics Champs remotely. This is Stuart’s article 2 for day 2 of the Microplus UK Athletics Indoors. Over the last year, Jemma Reekie and Laura Muir have experienced some tough times (agony), and now, as they begin the journey to Paris, the year starts with some big wins (ecstasy).
We wish Stuart a speedy recovery and best wishes to Jemma Reekie and Laura Muir in Glasgow!
Scottish Ladies
When Jemma Reekie finished fourth in the Olympic 800m in Tokyo, 0.09 off the bronze medal in an Olympic final where she was one of 6 of 8 athletes to run a PR, it looked like the start of a great adventure. The last three years have been a story of lockdown, injury, illness, relocation, and a new coach. The good news is that Jemma Reekie is beginning to look like Jemma Reekie again.
In the Microplus UK Athletics Indoor Championships, Jemma won the 800m in a championship record 1:58.24. She summed up her feelings: “Today was really about securing my place for Glasgow by taking the win. I wasn’t especially trying to run fast, so it just shows what shape I am in. I am so excited for Glasgow. I was happy to get it rolling, but I did know the Championship record time as I had looked at it this week.
“I start on every start line to win, and I will do that in Glasgow, especially in front of a home crowd. I really want to get my first senior medal as I have been so close, so I will take any medal, but, of course, my eyes are on gold. I get to go home after today and see my dogs, which is really exciting after two months of training away. I need to recover well and then get myself ready for the Champs. I have been waiting for my time to come since Tokyo, so after Glasgow, it’ll focus on Paris”.
Like her former training partner, Laura Muir is excited for a home championship – home in the sense of Scotland, not just Britain.
Muir will run the 3000m in Glasgow and chose the same event for the UK champs. She won in 8:58.62. Muir was always keen to run in Glasgow, but only if it fitted her Paris plans. She said: “I am very excited to have booked my ticket now- I still needed to go through the official qualification process, so I will be there, driving (not flying) up to Glasgow! It is very special for me to be there at the first Global champs Scotland has hosted.
“The new training group and a new program have been challenging after 12 years, but it is going really well. I am very excited to see what I can do in Glasgow, and it is a big stepping stone on the road to Paris. I take the pressure as an indicator of my success and try and use it to my advantage. I am very privileged to be in this position.”
It is going to be a special Scottish atmosphere in Glasgow.
