LOS ANGELES -- With Vice President Kamala Harris and 10,396 fans in attendance, Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner was officially welcomed back to the WNBA Friday night at Crypto.com Arena.

Griner was playing in her first official game since returning to the United States after being wrongfully detained for 10 months in Russia last year. As the WNBA started its 27th season Friday, Griner smiled broadly, acknowledging the fans who gave her a standing ovation, the Sparks and her Mercury teammates, as she made her much-anticipated return in Phoenix's 94-71 loss to Los Angeles. She finished with 18 points, six rebounds and four blocked shots in 25 minutes.

Harris met with both teams in their locker rooms before the game.

"Thank you for all that you did in supporting Brittney," the vice president told the Mercury. "I know that was rough and so difficult." Harris also talked about how "team is family" and how important it was that they kept "her story alive" while she was in Russia.

Los Angeles star and WNBA players union executive committee president Nneka Ogwumike presented Harris with a Sparks jersey and thanked her.

"Tonight is a game, but we're also celebrating the return of one of our own, and what the Biden administration did to make that happen is really important," Ogwumike said. "We know that wasn't easy. But we want to say thank you so much for us to be able to play against BG tonight."

Tennis legend Billie Jean King, Lakers coach Darvin Ham and league commissioner Cathy Engelbert were all on hand for Friday's game, too.

For Griner, 32, it's her 10th season in the league and one she may have thought was never going to happen.

Griner was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport in February 2022 when she was returning to Russia to continue her overseas basketball season there with UMMC Ekaterinburg. Russian customs officials said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage, which she later acknowledged in court while saying she had no criminal intent and had packed them in haste.

In May 2022, the State Department designated Griner as unlawfully detained. But in August, Griner was sentenced to a nine-year prison term, which her lawyers said was excessive for the offense.

Griner's only hope of returning home sooner was through a negotiated prisoner exchange between the United States and Russian governments. In December, Griner was returned to the United States while arms dealer Viktor Bout was freed and went back to Russia. The exchange took place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

"Every city we went last year, BG was the story," Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard said. "This year, it will be a story of joy, of happiness, of 'welcome back.' That positive energy I think will help our team.

"I'm so glad she's home. It's a miracle that she's here. BG stands for so much, so many different kinds of people who can be undervalued in our society. And is even using her platform now to bring others home."

Phoenix guard Diana Taurasi, who is playing her 19th season in the WNBA, reflected on how difficult it was for the Mercury to focus on playing during the 2022 season.

"Last year really had nothing to do with the basketball court," Taurasi said. "We had a sister, a friend in prison in Russia. Emotionally it took a toll on us every day. You really didn't know what to say on certain days. But it was toughest on BG."

Griner competed in an exhibition game on May 12 in Phoenix, but Friday marked her first regular-season game. The last official game Griner played before that was Game 4 of the WNBA Finals in October 2021.

"I'm an optimist. So for me it was like, 'I'm going to see her again,'" Ogwumike said of last season without Griner in the WNBA. "However, I didn't expect her to want to play so soon. I just want her to be happy and healthy."

Griner will make her regular-season debut at home in Phoenix on Sunday (ESPN, 4 p.m. ET). Ogwumike said it was special that Griner returned in Los Angeles against the Sparks, one of the original WNBA franchises from 1997 with a fan base that appreciates the league as a whole.

"Our fans are supportive," Ogwumike said. "It will hopefully create a warm welcome, a warm hug, for her coming into this season. This is also a great place for people to convene to support her, given the diversity of the city, and the history of our franchise. It's amazing we have the first game with BG back."

BOSTON -- Jimmy Butler scored 27 points, hitting a pair of buckets to give the Heat the lead after they erased a double-digit, fourth-quarter deficit, and the Miami Heat beat the Boston Celtics 111-105 on Friday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

Bam Adebayo had 22 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists and Caleb Martin came off the bench to score 25 points for eighth-seeded Miami, which won twice in Boston to earn a chance to complete the sweep at home.

Game 3 is Sunday.

Jayson Tatum had 34 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists for Boston. But the Celtics star went 0-for-3 with two turnovers in the fourth quarter, when Boston blew an 89-77 lead en route to a second home loss in three nights. Jaylen Brown scored 16 points on 7-for-23 shooting; he went 1-for-5 with a turnover in the final quarter, when Miami outscored Boston 36-22.

The Celtics led by 11 in the third quarter and made it a dozen early in the fourth. It was a 96-87 Boston lead when Butler scored, going forehead-to-forehead with Grant Williams before hitting the free throw to complete a three-point play.

Butler sneered at Williams' attempt to get him off his game with words, and after Tatum missed from long distance, Butler drove to the basket to make it a four-point game.

Miami erased it.

Miami trailed 98-96 when Butler was called for an offensive foul, kicking Marcus Smart after landing on a missed 3-pointer.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra challenged, but lost.

Butler responded.

He made a 17-footer to tie it at 100, and then hit a short fadeaway to give Miami the lead. After Max Strus made one of two free throws, Adebayo scored on a putback dunk to make it 105-100 with less than a minute to play.

Boston used a 21-2 run to turn an eight-point, first-quarter deficit into an 11-point lead.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Rangers star pitcher Jacob deGrom said Friday afternoon he has "turned a corner" in returning to the active roster by throwing a 25-pitch bullpen session.

"For sure, feel like I've turned a corner," said deGrom, sidelined since April 28 with elbow inflammation. "Everything felt good. Definitely headed in the right direction. I'm ready to go back out there."

The 25-pitch workout was a step forward from his previous session a few days earlier, when he threw "16 or 18" pitches. The goal for his next outing will be to throw an "up-down," during which he'll throw, take a break, and then throw again to simulate what he'll experience in a game.

DeGrom, the two-time NL Cy Young winner who left the New York Mets in December to sign a five-year, $185-million contract with Texas, said he isn't ready to talk about beginning a rehab assignment.

DeGrom (2-0) was placed on the 15-day injured list on April 29, a day after he left a start against the New York Yankees in the fourth inning.

DeGrom has made six starts this season, pitching 30⅓ innings, going as far as seven innings once and throwing at least 90 pitches twice. He has a 2.67 ERA with 45 strikeouts, four walks and a .171 opponents' batting average. The Rangers have won all of his starts.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Wade Miley is expected to miss six to eight weeks with a muscle strain in the back of his throwing shoulder.

Brewers manager Craig Counsell announced the time frame before Friday night's game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Left fielder Christian Yelich returned to the lineup after missing two games with back issues, and left-hander Eric Lauer -- coming off his first relief appearance of the season last Sunday -- will start or follow an opener on Saturday.

Miley went on the injured list Wednesday, one day after the injury originally thought to be a lat strain caused him to leave a game after throwing only 22 pitches. He underwent additional tests on Thursday.

Counsell said the muscle involved controls movement of the scapula and is not a common throwing injury.

"Because this is more unknown side, there's going to be some wiggle room there," Counsell said of the recovery time frame.

Yelich started Friday hitting .333 (16-of-48) with four homers and 12 RBIs in 13 games this month.

Miley, 36, has posted a 3-2 record with a 3.67 ERA in eight starts this season. The Brewers signed Miley to a one-year, $4.5 million contract in January that gives him the opportunity to make an additional $1.5 million in incentives and includes a $10 million mutual option for 2024.

Elbow inflammation and a strained throwing shoulder limited Miley to nine games with the Chicago Cubs last year, as he went 2-2 with a 3.16 ERA.

Miley's injury was the latest setback for a Brewers rotation that already was missing two-time All-Star Brandon Woodruff, who has made just two starts this season. He hasn't pitched since April 7 because of a shoulder issue.

PHILADELPHIA -- The Chicago Cubs placed outfielder Cody Bellinger on the injured list Friday, sent struggling reliever Keegan Thompson back to Triple-A Iowa and designating former All-Star first baseman Eric Hosmer for assignment.

To fill the roster gaps by the moves, Chicago activated infielder Nico Horner from the injured list and brought infielder Edwin Rios and outfielder Mike Tauchman up from Iowa.

Bellinger suffered a left knee contusion on Monday night making a grab against against the wall in right-center against Houston. Tauchman was called up to be outfield replacement for Bellinger, who was hitting .271 with seven homers and 20 RBIs.

Hosmer, 33, helped Kansas City win the World Series in 2015. He hit .234 with two homers and 14 RBIs in 94 at-bats for Chicago.

CINCINNATI -- Clarke Schmidt became the latest New York Yankees starting pitcher to be on the receiving end of a foreign substance check, but was allowed to continue in the game -- a decision that was met with disapproval from Cincinnati's David Bell and ultimately led to the Reds manager's ejection Friday night.

With New York leading 1-0 before the bottom half of the fifth inning, the umpires administered a foreign substance check on Schmidt.

"When I went out there for the fifth inning, the third-base umpire checked me," Schmidt said after New York's 6-2 win. "He checked my hands and said they were completely fine. He checked the back of my wrist where the glove slides onto, and I'm using a black glove, and there's like black fur inside the glove.

"Throughout the game, sweating and rosin, it kind of built up on the back of my wrist where the fur sits."

The umpires allowed Schmidt to stay on the mound after Schmidt cleaned off his wrist. Bell was ejected while disputing the umpires' decision to allow Schmidt to continue his scoreless outing. Cincinnati had just three hits off Schmidt at that point.

"David was upset that we made him clean it off and not eject him," crew chief Brian O'Nora said via the pool reporter. "I explained the situation. He kept going. I told him it was enough and he kept going. I had no choice but to eject him."

Bell declined to discuss the ejection after the game.

"I think it was probably obvious what happened, and I'm just going to leave it at that," the Reds manager said. "We don't benefit from me talking about this, so I'm not going to talk about it. But it was obvious what happened."

It was the second time this season an opposing manager was tossed after a sticky substance check on a Yankees pitcher. On April 15, Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli was tossed when Domingo German was allowed to keep pitching.

German was suspended for 10 games Wednesday by Major League Baseball and fined for violating the sport's prohibition of foreign substances on the mound during his start Tuesday in Toronto.

"I get it," Schmidt said. "The league is hypersensitive about it right now. You see it all across the league where guys are getting more extensive on the searches, which is completely fine. I have nothing to hide."

Reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge hit his seventh home run in as many games as the surging Yankees improved to 9-3 in their past 12 games.

Judge, who received a standing ovation from the many Yankees fans in attendance following his pregame batting session, wasted little time making his presence felt in the teams' first meeting in Cincinnati since 2017. Judge drilled the fifth pitch he saw from Reds starter Ben Lively 431 feet to center field for his 13th home run of the season.

"It's just very reminiscent of what we saw last year," Schmidt said of Judge. "You see the same guy. I don't think anything's changed from last year. When you see him catch hot like this, just watch out. It's definitely a reason for concern for the rest of the league."

The homer was Judge's only hit of the night, but he has homered in five of the past seven games -- including hitting two in two games during that stretch.

Lively was pulled in the sixth after walking Judge on six pitches. Lively allowed just two hits, including Judge's first-inning home run, while compiling a career-high eight strikeouts as the Red lost for the fourth time in five games.

Following Lively's exit, Anthony Rizzo tagged Reds reliever Ian Gibaut with his 10th homer of the season to score Judge and make it 3-0.

Jake Fraley drove in two runs on a double off reliever Jimmy Cordero in the sixth to chop New York's lead to 3-2.

The Yankees added three runs in the ninth, including a two-run double by Kyle Higashioka.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

SAN DIEGO -- Padres slugger Manny Machado was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday because of a hairline fracture in his left hand.

Machado was hit by a pitch Monday night. The move was backdated to Tuesday and manager Bob Melvin said there's a possibility Machado can return when the Padres play at the New York Yankees next weekend.

"It's getting better, but we've got an off day coming up, we didn't feel like he could play this weekend, we can backdate it three, so he'd be able to come back in New York," Melvin said before the Padres opened a series against the Boston Red Sox with a 6-1 loss. "That's not something you want to push on top of that. He's a guy that can play in pain; we saw it last year. We just want to get ahead of this thing and hope he's 100 percent when we get to New York."

Like the rest of the superstar-studded Padres lineup, Machado is struggling, hitting just .231 with five homers and 19 RBIs. He was an All-Star each of the past two seasons and was runner-up in NL MVP voting last year.

The Padres recalled infielder/outfielder Brandon Dixon from Triple-A El Paso.

The Padres have lost 10 of 12 to tumble into fourth place in the NL West, 8½ games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. San Diego entered this season with World Series expectations after reaching the NL Championship Series last year.

The Padres also placed right-hander Seth Lugo on the 15-day IL with a right calf strain and recalled left-hander Ryan Weathers from El Paso.

European Indoor 3000m bronze medallist on how the event at Parliament Hill inspires athletes

Verity Ockenden is back in Highgate tomorrow (May 20) for her fourth appearance on the track at Night of the 10,000m PBs.

The 31-year-old On athlete is part of a stacked women’s elite field in the championship race which kicks off at 8.40pm.

Just a few of her fellow Brits in that race include recent Olympic marathon qualifier Sam Harrison, reigning Night of the 10,000m PBs champion Jess Warner-Judd and fellow On teammate Amy-Eloise Markovc.

For Ockenden, who is 16th on the UK all-time 10,000m list with a PB of 31:43.70, it’s a meet that runs close to the heart and one she has raced in on three previous occasions.

Her best time at Highgate came two years ago when she finished 11th and clocked 32:43.47, which was the best mark of her career over the distance at that point.

She also placed 16th and 11th in 2017 and last year respectively.

Ockenden opens up her season at Parliament Hill after recovering from an injury she picked up towards the end of last year.

AW caught up with European Indoor 3000m bronze medallist ahead of this year’s edition of Night of the 10,000m PBs.

What do you expect from yourself at Night of the 10,000m PBs?

For me it’s a massive unknown and that’s what I’m really excited about. I feel like things are going really well in training even after being injured in December. I don’t really know how it’s going to go as I’ve got a new coaching set-up to last year and that was different to the year before that.

It’s been about 18 months since being out in Italy now and I feel like I’ve finally settled in and I didn’t expect to get married to my best friend! He’s now coaching me with the help of his best friend. That definitely wasn’t the plan but it’s working.

Last year was definitely a bit rocky for me and I really want to go back to the form that I was in when I headed into the Tokyo Olympics. I think a lot of the changes I made moving to Italy, it took a long time to have the desired effect. Now I feel that’s really helpful.

How’s the mental challenge of overcoming injuries?

I think with injuries one of the worst things that can happen is when they get into a cycle. For example, last year I had to recover from a tibial edema and then I had an Achilles problem, before getting a hamstring issue in the Autumn.

They are probably all connected in a sense as you’re overcompensating where you’re working on something and then neglecting something else. Until you really get it together with a strong foundation things will keep getting harder. You’ve just got to remember it happens to everybody. You might not see it on social media and it’s just about focusing on what you can do.

I never used to cross-train and it’s the thing I only used to do when I was injured. Not to say I’ll do it at the drop of the hat but on some days I will swap out my run for a cross-training session.

Everything you need to know about the Night of the 10,000m PBs on Saturday.@NightOf10kPBs preview?https://t.co/UPn9FeO0Xr

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) May 17, 2023

What’s it like to race Night of the 10,000m PBs? 

I’ve done this race since 2017 and pretty much every year I’ve been there either racing or spectating. Just to have it on the calendar is such a treat. That’s not just the party atmosphere but this is where you can go and perform well, without a question. Everything is set-up so well. The fields are going to be deep. There’s also wavelight technology on hand.

The noise and the heat gets to you. It doesn’t matter what the weather is. When you run past those flames you feel the heat and it’s unbelievable. Have I ever experienced another race like it? Probably not. I’ve never run the London Marathon but it took me back to my memory of watching Paula Radcliffe’s British marathon record [2:15:25 in 2003] on TV.

My core memory of that is not even just Paula’s performance but the colour, noise and the hype. That’s what sticks with people when you’re an eight-year-old kid and it stays with you for life.

What’s the best thing about Night of the 10,000m PBs?

It brings the colour and character of the individual athlete to life. I think a lot of events are trying to follow the trend that Night of the 10,000m PBs has set. I saw they’ve had fashion walk-ins at some of the meets in the US and it was just really interesting. I’m not even into fashion that much but it really drew me in.

I think it’s important to nurture that individual identity outside of just being an athlete. Me being a writer and a poet helps a lot with that. I don’t want to just limit myself to just running and if that doesn’t go well there’s nothing else to me. It’s about getting those emotions out about how it’s going on track.

A lot of the things that I write I try to expand on the best bits of running that I’m experiencing. I think it helps the sport grow. I don’t know how much people are into poetry and it’s quite niche but I read a tweet from Michael Johnson saying he thinks it’s up to athletes to lift the sport up by showing what we can do.

How has On helped you as an athlete?

Well firstly, Chris Thompson has been a little bit of a mentor for me since I joined On. That’s probably one of the best things about On because you get that family atmosphere. The shoe technology is amazing and I genuinely believe they have the best products out there.

Even if I wasn’t with them I’d choose to join the brand and gives you a lot of confidence going out on the track because you get to work with the performance team and get a lot of feedback. I’ve only started using carbon shoes in training this month and I’m still waiting to see how that works for me.

I’m interested to see how I can recover quicker and get more high quality stuff in without as much wear and tear on the body. I’m quite old school and it took me a while to even race in carbon shoes.

"The thing with Highgate [Night of the 10,000m PBs], it gets you to your very core and the reason for that is because people are screaming right next to you."@Thommo10k on what it's like to race at @NightOf10kPBs and why the event is so special ?

?️ @TimAdams76 pic.twitter.com/6YH3KIuGZ5

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) May 17, 2023

It’s probably hard to pin down an exact phrase “Thommo” has said because he says a lot! I think that’s what I really appreciate about him because he’s always been on the end of the phone. He spent an hour with me once trying to figure out what happened with my Achilles and you get reassurance and belief from that.

That’s the great thing about On because they’ve got him on as an elite athlete but someone who will be advising athletes even when he retires.

Do you reflect a lot and what are your goals for 2023 and beyond?

It’s funny looking back at my first races at a club at school. I was good and won the county championships but then I’d come 100th at the national level. I don’t think anyone from my club [Swansea Harriers] thought I’d be doing this now so I’d like to keep the perspective in that sense. I just want to compete at my best for as long as I can.

I really want to go to the Paris 2024 Olympics. It’ll be hard but I will give that my shot.

I try not to think about it [the strength in depth of British distance running] too much. There are so many good women now and you never know where the challenge will come from. There are so many athletes who have such good range and they could do any event. I just have to focus on myself and getting a PB and back to where I was.

I believe I can run in the 14:40s over 5000m and it’s just a matter of when. The 5000m is definitely my favourite event. I’m setting myself for a tough opener in Highgate and go straight in at a 10,000m but that will set me up well for the rest of the season. Then we’ll focus on the speed and I’m also going to do Paris and Vienna at On Track Nights as well.

For fast times, festival vibes and free entry for spectators, see On Track Nights.

European Indoor 3000m champion on Night of the 10,000m PBs and smashing her own glass ceiling

Amy-Eloise Markovc goes into this year’s Night of the 10,000m PBs off the back of a 2022 which saw the On athlete claim personal bests outdoors in the 3000m, 5000m, 10,000m, 5km and half marathon.

The 27-year-old athlete, however, agonisingly missed out on claiming a first major outdoor track medal at both the Commonwealth Games and European Championships.

Markovc finished fourth in Birmingham, fifth in Munich and was also 12th in her 5000m heat at the World Championships in Oregon.

She claimed a first British 5000m title but the aim for 2023 is to focus on the competition in front of her on a global scale and not just look at times.

At Highgate tomorrow (May 20), Markovc will put that to the test as she opens up her outdoor season at Night of the 10,000m PBs, an event she first did last year and finished only behind fellow Brit Jess Warner-Judd.

Markovc’s time of 31:25.57 she set at Parliament Hill remains her PB and placed her tenth on the UK all-time list in the process.

In what doubles up as a qualifier for the World Championships, Markovc will hope to nail the standard of 31:10.00 and be one of the top two Brits to automatically qualify for Budapest.

What’s the best bit about Night of the 10,000m PBs?

The event just makes athletics and running more engaging. It’s different. People who are really into running will love watching high calibre athletes run 5km or 10km races but for some who are on the fence or it’s their first event, it makes it really interesting as there’s always something going on.

For the athletes it’s great as everything feels a bit more intimate than being in a stadium. It’s such a cool meet as there are people of all levels competing and the races get faster and faster throughout the night.

I ran Highgate last year and I wasn’t 100% so I always wanted to go back and give it a good run. I feel like I can run a really good 10,000m and I wanted to do it regardless of being 70% or 90% because it’s such a good event but it’s always nice going into it feeling like you’re in contention.

I hadn’t run a 10,000m before 2020. I’ve never been in an environment where so many people are excited about running a 10,000m. It’s really palatable to everyone watching and it means that so many British athletes can feed off the energy you got from the festival vibes to run a quick time.

How has the start of 2023 been?

I was struggling with a few health issues earlier on in the year including a couple of illnesses and a torn disc.

That took a while to sort out and fitness came back way faster than expected. Training has been ticking over really nicely and I feel in a great shape to race. Sometimes it can be easy to focus on times too much, especially when qualifying standards are on the line, and it’s more about competing. I feel like I could get a pretty substantial 10,000m personal best and I’m excited to give myself that opportunity for success.

The past few months has been a bit like a yo-yo as my body adjusted post-injury. The focus is on enjoying what I am doing and I feel fulfilled and love what I do every day. I felt like I was running out of time so it was just about focusing on the day-to-day.

3 DAYS TO GO ? ? ?

See where the hard work happens with British Olympic @on_running athlete Amy Eloise-Markovc as we join her for a speed session at the High-Performance Centre in Loughborough alongside coach Rob Denmark to prepare for @NightOf10kPBs pic.twitter.com/2Vw8FhOui0

— The Big Run (@TheBigRunPod) May 17, 2023

What about last season with so many personal bests?

I actually came off last season feeling that I’d under-performed. I felt like we got my peak wrong and I peaked way too early in the season so by the major championships I couldn’t tap into that goodness I had earlier in the year. I obviously made a lot of progress with personal bests but I’m now using last year as experience for this season.

I don’t just want to make championships anymore. I want to perform well and compete against the best of the best. I know my ceiling is so much higher.

How have On helped you as an athlete?

On has been huge in facilitating all the changes I’ve made in the past year. Due to being with them I’ve gone back to the UK and choosing a different coach and set-up. As a brand they’re so engaging regarding athlete feedback and incorporating what we say into products because they’re innovating so quickly.

It’s been amazing running for On. It’s been just under a year since I joined them last June and they’ve been so supportive. It means a lot to have a brand that backs you in this way.

Being with On has helped me move to a base in Loughborough. It’s good as I’m working with Rob Denmark who’s an amazing coach. I train with Melissa Courtney-Bryant and we have a really good dynamic in the group. We also work with athletes like Sam Harrison even though she is coached by Vince Wilson. We are competitors but we collaborate and genuinely want each other to do well.

What do you make of the strength of British female distance running now?

When you see other athletes doing well it’s inspiring and it pushes you on. When Sam [Harrison] ran that quickly [2:25:59] at the London Marathon that’s only going to help me when we do the longer sessions. The same goes for when Melissa runs a fast 3000m. Times are getting so quick so fast and it’s cool to be a part of.

I think my ceiling is perhaps a lot higher than what someone would think based on my current performances but when you see these athletes achieving these things, it makes you believe it even more.

The focus this year won’t be on time and it will be putting myself in a position to compete at the highest level when it matters the most. The times will hopefully come with that. Having said that, I’d love to PB in events from the 1500m up to the half marathon as the season unfolds. The focus will be on the 5000m and I have a lot of unfinished the business in the event but I also feel there’s opportunity in the 10,000m.

Could you even do a marathon in the future?

I will definitely do a marathon at some point. It’s a bit of a rite to passage as a runner and the distance does intrigue me. I’ve only ever done one half marathon and I feel like I need to do a few more of those first! I just love testing myself and I’m curious to see what I could do.

Women's 1500m victory goes to Ethiopia's Dawit Seyaum in 4:04.35 ahead of PBs from Ireland's Sarah Healy (4:06.94) and Australia's Linden Hall (4:07.36). There's also a PB of 4:08.68 for Britain's Amy Eloise Markovc #WorldIndoorTour ?Getty Images for British Athletics pic.twitter.com/YJF6BZeUWB

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) February 19, 2022

What about reflection and your journey in athletics so far?

I think sometimes achieving your ambitions in this sport can take longer than you think. I had a few years where I wasn’t really competing at all and I think I really struggled from about 18-21. I think that slowed down my progression as I felt I was starting to scratch and I lost that ambition when I was younger of wanting to become an Olympic athlete. That was the ambition.

On one hand I’ve stayed in the sport a lot longer than I thought I would but on the other hand I couldn’t imagine life without it. It’s been a long journey with a lot of up and downs and I’ll keep doing it for as long as I can.

Budapest 23 and Paris 24 are the two major goals over the next two years. I’m trying to put myself in a position to make those teams and then be in contention at them. As long as I walk off the track knowing I’ve done everything I could’ve done when analysing the context of the race and I’m proud of that, then that’s success for me. I hope that means being around the medals but I want to represent may country proudly.

For fast times, festival vibes and free entry for spectators, see On Track Nights.