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Tokyo 2020: Laura Muir using lambing season to prepare for Olympics

Tokyo 2020: Laura Muir using lambing season to prepare for Olympics
© Reuters
Laura Muir runs in the 1500m heats on Monday in Tokyo.

Laura Muir insists she can handle the pressure in Tokyo after the lambing season helped her prepare for the Olympics.

The European 1500 metres champion, a qualified vet, races in the 1500m heats on Monday.

She has spent some of her time helping out on a farm in Scotland, which has kept her on her toes for the Games in Japan.

"There are so many little things – getting covered in various stuff you probably don't want to mention," she said.

"I remember, as well, helping out with lambing and there were little lambs on the hills. They're fast little things, even though they're only a few hours old, and we had to spray them to mark them with their mothers so they didn't get lost.

"We had a great system, me and the farmer: he would drive the quad bike and at the last minute, I would jump off. I'd catch the lambs, because I was quick, and then we'd spray them, and then I would hop back on and we'd be off again.

"Running came in handy for that, I thought that was quite funny."

Muir takes another shot at the 1500m after disappointment in Rio where she sat third with 200m left but faded to finish seventh.

Laura Muir after a race
Laura Muir races in the 1500m heats at the Olympics on Monday (Martin Rickett/PA)

Since then she has become a quadruple indoor champion, a European champion in 2018 and claimed silver at the World Indoor Championships.

She will be up against defending champion Faith Kipyegon and world champion Sifan Hassan – who is targeting a triple crown of 1500m, 5000m and 10000m.

Muir said: "I'm in the greatest shape of my life. I'd love to give a good shot but it does depend on how the other parts of the race have gone on and where I am in terms of comparison to them, and what time we're running.

"I'm so much more physically stronger. I know my body so much better as well. I know how I'm feeling when I'm running, can I push or can I not push?

"It will come down to the race. Things can change so quickly. It's very hard to see how things are going to pan out but I know I'm in the best position anyway that I can be to be successful.

"I think I'm such a different athlete from where I was in Rio. Really a lot more all-round a different athlete, a lot stronger."

Muir initially entered the 800m in Tokyo as well but pulled out earlier this month to ensure she would be in peak condition for the 1500m.

She said: "It will help a lot. We wanted to give ourselves the option of the double but, the more we looked at it, it would have been physically and mentally very very tough.

"I just had to think my best chances of a medal are in the 1500m, that's my strongest event, and I want to be 100 per cent for that final."

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Olympic medal table header
CountryGold medalSilver MedalBronze MedalT
ChinaChina34241775
United StatesUnited States30352893
JapanJapan22101547
Great BritainGreat Britain18182056
Olympics flagRussian Olympic Committee17232262
Today's Olympic highlights header

Friday's key events


HOCKEY
· Great Britain's women aim to secure their place on the podium as they face India in the bronze medal match (2.30am)
· Netherlands - silver medallists five years ago - and Argentina battle for the gold medal in the women's final (11am)

BEACH VOLLEYBALL
· The women's gold medal will be decided as Australia and USA go head to head (3.30am)

BOXING
· Lauren Price will be looking to add to Team GB's success in the ring when she takes on Nouchka Fontijn of Netherlands in the women's middleweight semi-final (6am)

DIVING
· Tom Daley already has one Olympic gold to his name in Tokyo, and he begins his bid for second in the men's 10m platform. Teammate Noah Williams is also involved in the preliminary round (7am)

CYCLING
· Jason Kenny's reign as sprint king may be over, but Jack Carlin looked strong in his bid to succeed his compatriot. He takes on Harrie Lavreysen in his sprint semi-final (8.10am), with the final taking place later in the day (10.35am)
· The women's madison makes its Olympic debut at the velodrome as Team GB duo Katie Archibald and Laura Kenny look to add another medal to their collections (9.15am)

FOOTBALL
· Hosts Japan will look to get themselves on the podium as they face Mexico in the men's bronze medal match (10am)
· The women's champions will be crowned as both Sweden and Canada aim to win Olympic gold for the very first time (1pm)

ATHLETICS
· The men's 5000m final includes Great Britain's Andrew Butchart, but most eyes will be on Ugandan world record holder Joshua Cheptegei (1pm)
· Team GB's Jodie Williams will hope to get on the podium in the women's 400m final, but defending champ Shaunae Miller-Uibo is favourite for gold while Stephenie Ann McPherson should challenge and Allyson Felix is bidding to become the most decorated female track and field athlete of all time (1.35pm)
· Netherlands' Sifan Hassan takes on leg two of her ambitious attempt at a Tokyo treble in a women's 1500m final which also includes Great Britain's Laura Muir and Faith Kipyegon of Kenya (1.50pm)
· A star-studded women's 4x100m relay final will see a Team GB quartet including Dina Asher-Smith look to upset defending champions USA and favourites Jamaica, who boast Elaine Thompson-Herah as she goes for her third gold of the Games (2.30pm)
· Great Britain and Jamaica will also be going for gold in the men's 4x100m relay final, and their medal hopes have been boosted by USA's failure to qualify (2.50pm)

> Today's schedule in full
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