Host nation Britain enjoyed a golden start to the European Indoor Athletics Championships on Friday as Laura Muir successfully defended her 3,000 metres title and Katarina Johnson-Thompson completed a dominant victory in the pentathlon, reports Reuters.
Scot Muir, a huge favourite of the Glasgow crowd, is seeking a double-double having won the 3,000 and 1,500 in Belgrade two years ago and she wrapped up the first leg in style.
It was a particularly impressive performance by Muir given that 90 minutes earlier she ran a hard heat to qualify for the 1,500m final, which takes place on the evening of the final day of the three-day championships.
Germany’s Konstanze Klosterhalfen made most of the running but Muir sat on her shoulder patiently before exploding clear at the bell with a devastating last 200m lap to win in a championship record eight minutes, 30.62 seconds.
Klosterhalfen, who took silver behind Muir in the European indoor 3,000m two years ago, finished a distant second, with Briton Melissa Courtney third.
