It would be the perfect full circle moment if Yvonne Murray-Mooney were to witness Laura Muir replicate her achievement of becoming World Indoor 3000m champion in just a few weeks time.
31 years have passed since Murray-Mooney produced one of the greatest results of her lengthy and decorated career to win 3000m gold at the World Indoor Championships in Toronto and little would give her more joy than to be in the stands watching her compatriot repeat her feat next month.
In just 24 days, the World Indoor Championships will come to Glasgow for the first time and Muir will be on the start line of the 3000m as the 30-year-old aims to win her maiden global title.
And of all the star names slated to be in Glasgow when the World Indoors kick-off on the 1st of March – the latest to state their intention to race is the world’s top 100m runner, Noah Lyles - Murray-Mooney is in little doubt as to who she’s most keen to see race and, she hopes, meet in person for the first time too.
“It’ll be lovely to watch Laura race,” says Murray-Mooney, who also won Olympic bronze and Commonwealth and European gold during the course of her career.
“She’s so talented and she’s the complete package because she’s so determined when she’s running.
“She’s just amazing so her 3000m is one race I really can’t wait to watch in Glasgow.
“We’ve never met so I’d love to shake Laura's hand and say well done for all her achievements.
“Athletes these days are under so much pressure and she copes with it so well.”
Muir already has a bronze and silver from the World Indoor Championships in 2018 and so will be aiming to complete the set next month.
A world title is something that so few Scots have had the privilege of owning and it’s something that, even three decades on, Murray-Mooney cherishes.
“I can’t believe it’s been 31 years since I won that World title,” she says.
“I still remember it really well, though.
“It was a last-minute decision to take part but indoor track was always my passion.
“Winning that gold medal was an amazing feeling, especially after two difficult years for me and so it was a really magical moment.
“In the race, I took off and nobody went with me and so it was an amazing feeling picking people off as the race went on.
“It’s such an honour to have a world title so it was an incredible feeling."
Murray-Mooney has been overcome with a dose of nostalgia in recent days.
The 59-year-old was one of the star attractions at opening of the Museum of World Athletics exhibition at Glasgow’s St Enoch Centre last Friday and which will run until the close of the World Indoor Championships.
The exhibition celebrates over 170 years of indoor track and field history and features a collection of indoor athletics artefacts dating back to the 1880s, including a pair of Murray-Mooney’s spikes.
The medals which will be awarded in Glasgow next month were also revealed at the event, bringing into focus the proximity of one of the biggest athletics’ events ever to be held in Scotland.
While Muir will be the most prominent Scottish athlete in action in Glasgow, there’ll be more than a few of her fellow Scots who have their sights set on winning silverware on home soil. Murray-Mooney, who raced in Scotland numerous times throughout her lengthy career, including winning Commonwealth 3000m bronze in Edinburgh in 1986, is familiar with the benefits of competing at home, but she's also fully aware of the potential pitfalls.
“Competing at home was incredible. The adrenaline I felt was amazing,” she says.
“There's a different feel when you’re at home because you know the crowd and they know you so that desire to win in front of a home crowd is really strong.
“What’s nice is you’re able to give back to the Scottish fans who have supported you for so long.
“When you win any championship medal, it’s an amazing feeling but when it’s on home soil, there’s that extra edge to it.
“There are challenges being at home too, though. The pressure is so much more and really have to keep your focus.
“And at the event, all the athletes will have their tactics so it’s important that they don’t get distracted by other things that are going on or by people wanting to speak to them.
“The main thing for the Scots will be to focus on what they’re there to do and then they can enjoy the crowd afterwards.”
Murray-Mooney was unquestionably part of a golden generation of Scots during her career which spanned the 1980s and 90s, but that has arguably been overshadowed by this current generation who, Murray-Mooney admits, she’s in awe of.
There’s one contemporary Scottish athlete, however, who Murray-Mooney keeps a particularly close eye on and that’s Eilish McColgan.
Murray-Mooney was both teammates and rivals with Liz McColgan and they remain close friends, with Murray-Mooney regularly on the phone to her compatriot to congratulate her on Eilish’s achievements.
“Liz and I very much keep in touch and we text regularly.
“I watched Eilish win the Commonwealth Games in 2022 and I was straight on the phone to Liz because that was a phenomenal performance from Eilish.
“And I loved watching the recent documentary about the pair of them,” she says.
“This current crop of Scottish athletes is incredible.
“I watched Jake Wightman and Josh Kerr win their world titles and it’s brilliant because it sends a message to kids watching back in Scotland that if they can do it, anyone can.”
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