The middle and long-distance runner won the silver medal in Tokyo after finishing seventh in the 2016 final in Rio but ran a Personal Best time and broke the British record. Laura Muir, 28, has previously won European Indoor titles at 1500m in 2017 and 2019 and at the European Championships in 2018. BBC News described the moment she won second place as “perfection”.

Speaking to BBC News after the race, Laura said: “I don’t know what to say.

“I’m just overblown. I’ve worked so hard for so long.

“I’ve been fourth, fifth twice, sixth and seventh every year since 2015.

“With everything last year, not knowing if it was going to go ahead. I got a silver.”

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She added: “I think you’ve got be as best prepared as possible.

“I just trained as hard as I could as if this was going to happen; no doubt in my mind that it wasn’t going to happen and just hoped it was going to come.

“I’ve been so nervous all week.”

Ms Muir also praised all those who had supported her on her Olympic journey up to this point.

She said: “I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who’s supported me, my mum and my dad and my nan who are watching at home.

“Gemma Reekie, I could not wish for a better friend and a better training partner.

“My coach Andy, I started working with him in 2011, so almost a decade next month and he’s just sacrificed so much for that four minutes back there.”

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Her time of three minutes 54.50 seconds is an improvement on Muir’s own 2016 British record of 3:55.22.

The fast pace proved perfect for Muir as she gritted her teeth down the back straight to overtake a tiring Hassan and, with Kipyegon well clear, finish a comfortable second.

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