The tumultuous storm which engulfed Florence on Friday parted in time for Faith Kipyegon to generate a lightning bolt of extraordinary voltage as she recorded a world record in the women’s 1500 metres of 3:49.11 to supplement her two Olympic golds and a pair of world titles.
“It was her turn,” shrugged Laura Muir, who has so frequently had to bow to the Kenyan’s imperious power.
The Scot turned in an efficient season opener in second place. There were positive pointers as she emerges from the dark clouds and torrential traumas which, she reveals, threatened to drown her spirits and knock her wellbeing off track.
It is barely two months since an unexpected split from her long-time coach Andy Young, one which swiftly followed an abrupt exit from a training camp in South Africa amid allegations of over-controlling behaviour from her mentor that are currently the subject of a UK Athletics investigation.
Life feels more joyful now, she says. The prime reason for the transition from dark to light?
“The coaching situation,” she immediately identifies.
The voice suddenly cracks. Tears well. The depth of emotion remains raw.
This fruitful partnership lasted 12 years and delivered a dozen major championship medals, including silver behind Kipyegon at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
But the good times could no longer compensate for the bad. Too taxing, toxic perhaps, just too much.
“It was very hard, very hard,” Muir says. “It just wasn’t a nice situation to be in. So I had to leave, to be happy. I’m just coaching myself just now with support from British Athletics. They’ve been amazing. They’ve been really, really good. I couldn’t thank them enough for everything.
“But it has been really hard. The hardest few months of my career.”
Her protege Jemma Reekie quit in tandem. She has gone to Brighton, where her new coach, Jon Bigg, is based.
Muir has opted to retain Glasgow as her base, and to assert control over her own regime, at least until August’s world championships in Budapest. Beyond that, she says, any demand for fresh voices will be up for review.
“I was with Andy for 12 years so it’s a big move,” she says. “I don’t want to make any quick decisions. I want to make sure it’s the right decision. So I’ll feel my way through this summer.”
She does not feel any beats have been skipped. Steve Vernon, who accelerated the career of Muir’s Northern Irish rival Ciara Mageean, offers a sounding board through his endurance role at British Athletics. No matter how messy the split, there is no pressing need to rip up and rewrite the script.
The goals remain high. She will line up next in Paris on Friday, wholly intent on lowering her personal best over 5,000m.
“Long overdue,” she declares, with smile restored.
A few weeks ago, she hit the milestone of 30 while in Reekie’s company, at altitude, in St. Moritz. No longer the wide-eyed ingenue who emerged a decade ago, the veterinarian is old and wise enough now to make the right calls.
Sacrifices remain a staple. She had a big birthday, but training was still prioritised.
“It was triple Tuesday so it was a gym-run-gym in the mountains and it was cold,” she recounts. “May is off-season so everything was shut. So we just went out for dinner.”
No dramas, no dispute, burdens lifted, Muir has a spring in her step.
“There’s no reason why I can’t be as fast, if not faster,” she asserts. “I’m in a really, really good place. I’m very excited for the season. And I think that’s a lot about me just being a lot more relaxed, and happier.”
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