Laura Muir claims bronze in 1500m at World Championships

Laura Muir clinched Great Britain’s first medal of the World Championships with an impressive bronze in the 1500m.

The Scot clocked a season’s best of three minutes 55.28 seconds in Eugene on Monday evening.

Kenya’s Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon took gold with Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia second.

Muir was involved in a breakaway with Kipyegon, Tsegay and Hirut Meshesha almost immediately as the race went out hard at Hayward Field.

Meshesha was then dropped with over two laps to go as the medal-winning trio fought it out for their podium spots with Kipyegon taking the title.

Earlier, Katarina Johnson-Thompson finished eighth after she was unable to defend her heptathlon crown.

The 29-year-old earned 6222 points after two days of competition in Oregon with Nafi Thiam regaining the title after being beaten by Johnson-Thompson in 2019 ahead of Anouk Vetter and Anna Hall.

After an injury-hit 18 months and a late change of coach she was not expected to retain the title she won with a British record in Doha three years ago.

It was also unrealistic to expect a podium challenge and she finished 533 points behind the medal places.

Johnson-Thompson said: “I love the sport. Last year set me back, life isn’t fair and I was questioning that. After the championships I wanted to take time away from the sport, I don’t want to do this, how can it be fair an Achilles can just rupture?

“This time I actually feel I’ve got my hunger back. I’ve been away from the championships but it’s like I want to put in the work and get back to where I was.

“As soon as I finished I took in the moment, it’s a different mentality. It’ll be motivation for me through the winter.”

After day one left her sixth Johnson-Thompson said she was in Eugene to fight as