It’s showtime again on Tuesday evening for Ciara Mageean with the hugely anticipated women’s 1500m final at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest down for decision.
Mageean has been the epitome of confidence to date in both her heat and semi-final, but after qualifying comfortably from her first round heat in third place, she faced a much more difficult challenge in her semi-final on Sunday evening.
In contrast to the second semi-final which followed, the opening lap was run in a comparatively leisurely 66 seconds.
The second was even slower in 68 seconds, with Mageean still looking calm in the middle of the tightly-knit pack.
Read more: Mixed relay team grab sixth as Mageean and Adeleke keep medal hopes alive
A smooth acceleration took her into a better position at the bell and a last lap in under 60 seconds saw her cross the finish line safely in third, recording a time of 4:02.70, just behind Kenya's Nelly Chepchirchir and Ethiopia's Birke Haylom.
“It was choppy, but I enjoy racing like that,” said the 31-year-old Irish record holder.
“People think athletics is a non-contact sport, but it certainly isn’t when you look at all the athletes coming through with cuts and bruises these last few days.”
"I just love racing! I grew up playing camogie so I'm used to a bit of argy-bargy!"
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) August 20, 2023
@ciaramageean in great form with @WillDalton01 after booking her place in the Women's 1500M Final at the World Athletics Championships.#TeamIreland | #WorldAthleticsChamps | @irishathletics pic.twitter.com/sBoWcnDfaT
Mageean's semi-final was significantly slower than the second, won by world record holder and event favourite Faith Kipyegon in 3:55.14.
Kipyegon led home nine women all under four minutes. Sarah Healy, in eighth, went third on the Irish all-time list behind Mageean (3:56.63) and Sonia O’Sullivan (3:58.85) with a 3:59.68 timing but was eliminated as only the first six went forward.
“Definitely. Look, Faith (Kipyegon) is in a class of her own,” said Mageean after the race.
“I'm under no illusion that she's probably secured that gold, many might think that's a little defeatist, but you have to tip your hat to the greatest of all time.
“To be up there in the medal contention you have to be running what my PB is of 3.56, and I ran a 3.58 this season a split of a mile. So, I know I can go much faster and I'm looking forward to going out there and showing what I'm made of."
Meanwhile, Healy was left to lick her wounds with the consolation that her time qualified her for the Paris Olympics next year: “It’s hard not to make a final having run sub four minutes but it’s a big moment in my career so I’ll enjoy the sub four.
"It’s great to know I can compete with so many of the athletes I would have looked up to.
"The times just keep coming down so you’re going to have to run under four minutes to make major finals so I’m really happy that I’m in that space now”.
Ireland’s two-lappers Mark English and John Fitzsimons also enter the fray on Tuesday evening in 800m heats.
English, whose form has been at best patchy this season, is drawn in the second heat with the first three guaranteed automatic advancement along with the fastest three across the seven heats.
English will be aided by the inclusion in his heat of Britain’s Max Burgin, a renowned frontrunner.
Fitzsimons goes in heat three while Sarah Lavin follows shortly afterwards in the opening round of the 100m hurdles.
The Limerick woman has been in the form of her life and will no doubt be targeting Derval O’Rourke’s national record as well as a final place.
