Gutsy Ciara Mageean narrowly misses podium finish at European championships

Posted 13 August, 2018

• The UCD graduate Ciara was edged out of bronze by just over a second, finishing with a race time of 4.04.63.
• Mageean is one of only three Irish female track athletes to recieve a European Championship medal, winning bronze in 2016.
• The Donegal native is among the top female Irish athletes in the European rankings.

Ciara Mageean was denied bronze at the European Championship after a superb effort in the women’s 1500m left her agonisingly close to a podium finish.

As race winner Laura Muir (Great Britain) took gold, (opens in a new window)Mageean looked set to repeat her bronze medal from 2016 as she closed in on third place.

However a final burst from Laura Weightman (Great Britain) in the closing stages of the Berlin race allowed the British runner to break away from her UCD rival.

Winning her first major outdoor title, Muir took gold in 4.2.32 after taking a big lead on the second lap.

Poland's Sofia Ennanoui won silver in 4.03.08 with Weightman (4.03.75) edging out Mageean (4.04.63) by just over a second.

"I'm proud to be able to go out there and give everything in the Irish vest."- Ciara Mageean reacts to her fourth-placed finish in the 1500m final (opens in a new window)#RTEsport (opens in a new window)pic.twitter.com/OI5bKfNSzX

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) (opens in a new window)August 12, 2018

After giving her "absolute all" in Sunday's final, the former student of the School of Physiotherapy told RTE she was “bitterly disappointed” with the result.

“I came to try to bring another medal home for Ireland, to join Tom [Barr] with some metalwork around my neck.

"I gave it everything out there and just fell short. It was a tough run. I'm proud to be able to go out there and give everything in the Irish vest."

The UCD Ad Astra elite athlete is one of only three Irish female athletes, alongside Sonia O'Sullivan and Derval O'Rourke, to have won a European Championship medal.

(opens in a new window)Berlin, you've left me broken hearted, but I gave it everything out there tonight. I left it all on the track and wore my Irish vest with pride. . . I'll be back and as hungry as ever. Thanks so much for all the support.

A post shared by (opens in a new window) Ciara Mageean (@c.mageean) on Aug 12, 2018 at 1:13pm PDT

Elsewhere Irish hopeful Mark English, from the School of Medicine, was eliminated in 800m heats despite a season’s best time of 1.48.98 on Thursday.

A dejected English said after his race that things hadn’t click how he’d wanted them to “but sometimes that’s the way it goes”.

“I wasn’t feeling the best around [the National Championships last month], but niggles are part and parcel for every athlete, you get up and get over them,” he told RTÉ.

‘Sometimes it just doesn’t click,’ and unfortunately it was one of those days for Mark English (opens in a new window)pic.twitter.com/KV2e9SOn2j

— Athletics Ireland (@irishathletics) (opens in a new window)August 9, 2018

“I suppose not being on form can sometimes be a very powerful weapon, but today just got away from me too soon.”

(opens in a new window)UCD Smurfit School student Claire Mooney and her team were eighth in their semi-final heat in the women’s 400m relay.