Ciara Mageean won a gold medal in the 1500m final at the European Athletics Championships in Rome Sunday evening (June 9th).
The Portaferry athlete burst through a gap between the British pair of Jemma Reekie and Georgia Bell coming into the final 100 meters, kicking for home to cross in a winning time of 4:04.66.
She found a gap...and she went for it! 🌪
Ciara Mageean 🇮🇪 storms to 1500m gold for Ireland in #Roma2024! 🔥#IgniteTheFire
(@irishathletics | @TeamIreland) pic.twitter.com/sKf4f0IyQf— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) June 9, 2024
It's a third European outdoor medal for Mageean after her bronze in Amsterdam in 2016 and the silver won in Munich in 2022.
"Words can't even come close," was Mageean's initial reaction when she spoke to RTÉ Sport afterwards. "
Everybody back home knows how long I have been doing this, how hard I have been trying. I've had so many times when I've come off races and not felt the way I am today. I went out on that track today super nervous, but I had a plan and a mission, that was to hear Amhrán na bhFiann.”
Sarah Healy also went in the race, finishing in a superb seventh place in her first senior European final in a time of 4:06.77 to offer her plenty of confidence heading into the run-in to Paris.
Ireland enjoyed another piece of history earlier in the schedule with both Rhasidat Adeleke and Sharlene Mawdsley securing their places in tomorrow’s 400m final (8.50pm).
Adeleke cruised through to the final in 50.54Q, a time that would see her claim first place in her heat and rank as the fastest time of all qualifiers.
Mawdsley joins her relay teammate in Monday's medal decider with a brilliant 50.99 second place finish to claim an automatic qualification place.
Sophie Becker posted the second fastest time of her career to finish in fourth place (51.54) in her respective heat which was just shy of progressing. It did complete the remarkable feat of three Irish athletes finishing within the top 10 at a European Championships.
Results Summary:
- Rhasidat Adeleke – Women’s 400m – 1st in Semi Final in 50.54Q
- Sharlene Mawdsley – Women’s 400m – 2nd in Semi Final in 50.99Q
- Sophie Becker – Women’s 400m - 4th in Semi Final in 51.54
- Ciara Mageean – Women’s 1500m – 1st in 4:04.66
- Sarah Healy – Women’s 1500m – 7th in 4:06.77
