European Athletics Championships 2014: Euro pain it all goes wrong for Laura Muir in messy 1500m heat

Medal hope Laura Muir was the first major disappointment for the British team at the European Championships today when crashing out of the heats of the 1500metres.

Muir, 21, went into the event in Zurich ranked third on the continent behind Sifan Hassan and Abeba Aregawi but struggled in a messy and slow heat to get a good position.

By the home straight, she then lacked the pace and finished sixth, thereby missing out on qualification while British team-mates Hannah England and Laura Weightman, a Commonwealth Games silver medallist over the distance, booked their spots in the final.

“I’m disappointed especially when I’m ranked third,” said Muir. “When you’re ranked that highly it’s disappointing not to come top 12 to get in the final so I’ll have to speak to my coach. When you’ve got a fast time I think it makes it harder because your expectations of yourself are that much higher. It was a below-par performance.

“I tried to keep on the inside but I ended up running in lane two for the majority of that which is obviously more mileage and I almost fell a couple of times as well.”