What is it about Ciara Mageean and the Brussels Diamond League? Twelve months ago, she took down Sonia O’Sullivan’s Irish 1500m record.
Tonight she returned to the “super-fast” track in the renovated King Baudouin Stadium, and it was another national record, this time beating her own mark of 3:56.61 set recently in Budapest.
Mageean stopped the clock at an incredible 3:55.87 but the only thing preventing it being a perfect evening was that Scotland’s Laura Muir finished in front of her. Despite Muir’s Olympic and World championship medals, it was Mageean who started favourite for the victory in perfect running conditions.
The two pacemakers took the field through splits of 61.78 and 2:05.48 with the Portaferry woman always in striking distance of the front. The Scot struck the front at the bell and
went through 1200m in a breathtaking 3:10.43 with Mageean hot on her heels.
The City of Lisburn athlete moved ominously up to Muir’s shoulder going into the
last furlong, but the British record holder held tenaciously on to the lead all the way to
the finish, in a time of 3:55.34.
Australia’s Jessica Hull had been second at the bell by slipped to fourth in 3:57.75 as world fifth-placer Nelly Chepchirchir came through to grab the final place on the presentation podium in 3:56.93.
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