The Olympic medallist Laura Muir and her GB teammate Jemma Reekie have flown home from South Africa after a shock falling out with their long-term coach Andy Young.
Young, who has helped guide Muir to 11 major medals – including a 1500m silver at Tokyo 2020 – in their 12 years together, denied reports of a major bust-up when asked by the Guardian. But he did hint that there had been disagreements over his behaviour at a recent warm-weather training camp in Potchefstroom.
“There was no bust-up,” said Young. “I think you would find the girls were worried about my health if you spoke to them. Felt I wasn’t looking after myself properly, maybe thought pressure was getting to me. I’d say they were reading too much into it.”
It is understood that both Muir and Reekie, who came fourth over 800m in Tokyo, are now training alone at Loughborough University as they consider their futures, while Young has remained in South Africa. However several informed sources now believe that the partnership is over – which would leave two of Britain’s best athletes without a coach just 15 months from the Paris Olympics.
In a statement British Athletics confirmed that it was helping both athletes “review” their training ahead of a new season.
“We can confirm that Laura Muir and Jemma Reekie left their altitude training location last week to return home to the UK,” the statement said. “World Class Programme staff and services are continuing to work with both athletes to ensure they receive the support they require as they review their training and competition programmes for the season ahead.”
Young has been Muir’s coach since she started her veterinary studies at the University of Glasgow in 2011. At the time she was not considered someone who would go on to be an elite athlete, but Young – who was in charge of the student running club – saw something that made him text a friend that he had “the next Paula Radcliffe/Kelly Holmes”.
Within three years, Muir was competing for Britain in the 2014 World Indoor Championships while two years later she broke Holmes’s British 1500m record. After falling just short at the Rio Games in 2016, Muir finally got the Olympic podium position she craved in Tokyo.
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Last year she followed up that success with four more medals – 1500m gold and 800m bronze at the Commonwealth Games, 1500m gold at the European Championships and 1500m bronze at the World Championships in Eugene.
But while no one doubts Young’s coaching ability he has sometimes been seen as overly protective of his two star runners. In 2020, he threatened to cancel a British media interview with the pair after getting wind that questions about their Nike super spikes would be asked – and eyebrows have been raised at how tightly he controls his athletes’ training, media appearances and race schedule.
However Muir has previously praised Young’s impact on her career, saying: “It was a lot of intensity and he showed me how to push myself. He knew how to progress through different phases and how much to push me and motivate me.”
