Runner wins gold medal, escapes joyless official who tried to block her victory lap

After winning the 1500m in record fashion at the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Belgrade this past weekend, a race official repeatedly blocked British runner Laura Muir from taking a victory lap.

In an effort to keep the competition on schedule and prevent Muir from properly relishing her first win, the official moved laterally to impede Muir's movement, held up her arms and pointed her away off the track.  It was better defense than anything seen at the NBA All-Star Game. Muir appeared to finally relent but then decided, hey, screw it, and made a break past the official.

“I had to fight for that didn’t I?” said a smiling Muir afterwards, per the Guardian. “They said: ‘We don’t have time.’ I thought it’s my first medal. I’m not going to lose out on my lap of honor. I’m going. Andy, my coach, was saying: ‘Do it,’ so I got there in the end.

“I couldn’t really believe what she was saying. But I thought: ‘At the end of the day, she won’t be able to catch me.’”