Muir has ‘nothing to lose’ with Paris gold in sights

Team GB’s Laura Muir has “nothing to lose” in Paris as she bids to go one better than her Tokyo Olympic silver in the 1500m.

The 31-year-old made history three years ago by becoming the first Scot to claim an individual track and field medal in 33 years.

She will begin her Games on Tuesday when the 1500m qualification rounds get under way at the Stade de France (from 09:05 BST).

“I am going as the reigning Olympic silver medallist, so I have got nothing to lose,” Muir told BBC Scotland.

“Essentially, I can come away from the Games knowing I am still an Olympic silver medallist, which is quite nice.

“I want to win another one and I am running faster, but the event has moved on again which is crazy. We have had so many world records since Tokyo.

“It is a privilege to be part of that, but there are an awful lot of fast athletes out there, including me. I am not going to rule anything out.”

Muir broke her own British 1500m record at the Paris Diamond League event earlier this summer, with her time of three minutes 53.79 seconds bettering the mark that earned her silver in Tokyo.

With that comes expectation and pressure, but that sits more comfortably with her than it might have before.

“People expect you do well again, which is actually a really privileged position to be in because you have been there and done it,” added Muir. “I see it more as support.

“A few years ago, I did struggle a little bit with the pressure but then I learned to accept that the reason it is there is because people want you to do well. Ultimately, the only pressure I work with is the pressure I put on myself.”