IRELAND’S CIARA MAGEEAN has won gold in the 1500m at the European Championships in Rome tonight.
The Portaferry native ran a race of 4.04.66 to come home in first place, with Georgia Bell (4.05.33) in second and Agathe Guillemot (4.05.69) in third.
She crucially found a gap between the British pair of Bell and Jemma Reekie, and was able to kick for home in the straight.
It was a magnificent success for Mageean which she will cherish after a bronze medal finish in the European Championships in Amsterdam in 2016 and silver in Munich in 2022.
Ireland’s other competitor in the field Sarah Healy, finished seventh in a time of 4.06.77.
Gold 🥇 for Ciara Mageean in the women's 1500m final!!!☘️ #Roma2024
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) June 9, 2024
📺 Watch on @RTE2 & @RTEplayer pic.twitter.com/u9agcdv6MP
Speaking to RTÉ afterwards, Mageean described what it meant to her to win the medal.
“I want to thank everybody who has helped me get here today to win my first senior gold medal for Ireland,” she said. ” To be at the top of the podium and to hear our National Anthem and to show world athletics that the Irish are here – we are here to show where we belong.”
She paid tribute to her parents. “”Mummy, Daddy, I love you to bits! Thank you for everything. We did it.”
CIARA MAGEEAN HAS DONE IT!!!!!🇮🇪🇮🇪🤩🤩
— Athletics Ireland (@irishathletics) June 9, 2024
IT'S GOLD FOR IRELAND🥇
⏱️4:04.66#Roma2024 #IrishAthletics @ask123.ie pic.twitter.com/wArsH25Cuv
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