LAURA Muir has admitted for the first time that it will be “mentally hard” to be on the outside looking in when this April’s Commonwealth Games come round. The 24-year-old middle distance star took the strategic decision to skip the games to complete the final year of her degree in veterinary medicine during the first part of 2018 but that doesn’t make it any easier when you see the remainder of a high powered Scottish athletics team preparing to jet to the Gold Coast.

“I knew, and Andy my coach knew, quite a few years ago that the Commonwealth Games wasn’t going to be in the frame for this year,” said Muir. “I knew I had to finish my degree at some point and this year - with their not being a World Championships or an Olympics - was the year it would have to be done.

“While I think I moved on from it quite a while ago mentally I think it will still be hard come April time when you see the rest of the Scottish team out there and other athletes you have raced against out there, but I wish them all the best and I am sure they will go on to do very, very well without me. There will be lots of medal opportunities for the team who is going to be going.

“I will be working in a hospital right through April and trying to study as well. So I’m not sure I will be staying up all night to watch it but I will try to catch up as best I can during the day and see how everyone is getting on.”