Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships 1500m champion Laura Muir barely had time to pause for breath on her return to Scotland before she was helping launch the competition schedule of the Glasgow 2019 European Athletics Indoor Championships.
Muir was in the city’s Emirates Arena, which will stage the three days of competition from 1-3 March 2019, to celebrate the fact that there is less than seven months to go to the Championships.
“Now that we have officially hit the 200-day-to-go milestone and the competition schedule has been announced, the European Athletics Indoor Championships is now very much in our sights. it is going to come around very quickly.
“My excitement and anticipation for the Championship is building each day and I can’t wait to experience and be a part of another major sporting event in this fantastic city,” commented Muir who will defend at least one of her 1500m and 3000m titles she won last year in Belgrade.
Six sessions have been scheduled across three action-packed days of competition and the full timetable can be seen here.
“The Scottish crowds are always brilliant and come out in their numbers to not only support the home athletes but they also appreciate top quality athletics too, so it will be a fantastic atmosphere for everyone. It has been a long time since the Championships have been to Glasgow and I have no doubts it will be one to remember, hopefully an opportunity for us to inspire the next generation of Scottish athletes,” added Muir.
Fresh off the plane after her @EuroAthletics Championships 1500m gold , @lauramuiruns helped us launch the Glasgow 2019 competition schedule.
— Glasgow 2019Athletics (@Glasgow2019) August 16, 2018
View it here: https://t.co/R42sQna0qv
Book tickets here: https://t.co/ofFstzlzr3 pic.twitter.com/ngjNo7XAxo
Billy Garrett, Director of Sport and Events at Glasgow Life and Co-Chair of the Glasgow 2019 Steering Committee, commented: “We have enjoyed a fantastic run of international sporting events over the past five years here in Glasgow and the European Athletics Indoor Championships is another we are hugely excited for. Glasgow will once again play host to some of the world’s top athletes, where they will get to perform at a world class venue in front of packed and enthusiastic crowds.
'Now that we have hit the 200-day countdown, and on the back of a wonderful first European Championships, the focus is now very much on preparing for another exciting event for the city. It has been 19 years since we last had the championships here, which makes the countdown even more special.”
Cherry Alexander, Major Events Director at British Athletics and Sport Director for Glasgow 2019, added: “The announcement of the competition schedule takes us one step closer to what promises to be another fantastic Championships here in the UK.
“We have seen strong ticket sales in the build-up to the Championships so far, and with the events taking place at each session now public knowledge I expect that many fans from not only the UK but overseas will be going online to secure their seat for next March.”
The Emirates Arena, built for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, has a capacity of 5000 and is one of the largest indoor sports venues in Europe hosting a diverse range of sporting events throughout the year and more than 650 athletes are expected to compete at the Championships.