LAURA WEIGHTMAN continued her recent impressive form as she slashed more than two-and-a-half seconds off her personal best at the Diamond League meeting in Paris.

A week after winning the 1,500m title at the British Championships in Birmingham, Weightman returned to the track to finish eighth in a race that saw her move to sixth on the UK all-time list.

Fellow Briton Laura Muir, who finished sixth, also smashed her personal best as she set a new Scottish record and posted the fastest time by a British athlete in more than five years.

Weightman ran alongside Muir as the pair held back early on, and joined her compatriot on a furious last lap that saw both Britons pass five or six rivals as they closed in on the leading pack.

Holland’s Sifan Hassan won the race in the fastest time in the world this year, with Weightman eventually stopping the clock at 4:00.17.

The Morpeth Harrier was understandably delighted at having demolished the personal best she set in Eugene in the start of the year, but her enjoyment was tinged with a sense of regret at having come so close to dipping under the four-minute barrier.

“I’m really pleased to run a massive personal best, but at the same time being so close to running sub four is hard to take,” said Weightman. “But I gave everything in race. I tried to go with it, and I tried to run hard, and I’ve done that and I’m really pleased. You just always want more.

“Me, Laura and Hannah (England) are at that level now where we’re pushing each other along, and it’s really important as you need that. That’s what gets you out of bed in the morning.”