Ciara spot on as bronze secured in Amsterdam

Ciara spot on as bronze secured in Amsterdam

13 July 2016

THERE was a hero’s welcome at Dublin Airport on Monday morning for Portaferry’s Ciara Mageean who ran the race of her life on Sunday in Amsterdam to lift a bronze medal at the European Championships.

Ciara claimed her medal in the final of the 1500M in a time of 4:33.78 — just 0.02 of a second behind second placed Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands with Poland’s Angelika Cichocka claiming gold in a time of 4:33.00.

It was an impressive display from the 24 year-old Rio-bound athlete who stormed home, having appeared to be boxed in on the inside lane in the 

closing stages. In what was a physical race, Ciara lost some valuable time as she had to move to the outside in the final stretch, but she still had the power to kick for home and force Norway’s Ingvill Makestad Bovim into fourth place.

Despite the unusually slow early pace, Ciara held her nerve to take her first ever senior medal and it could easily have been silver as she very nearly ran down Dutch favourite Sifan Hassan for the silver as she claimed Ireland’s only medal at the Amsterdam championships.

Ciara’s impressive junior career included silver medals at both the world junior and world youth championships.

Her career was then stalled by a serious foot injury, but she battled back after almost two years out to qualify for this year’s Olympics and her medal in Amsterdam should give her huge confidence ahead of her Rio challenge.

After the race she confessed to almost a sense of mixed feelings. She attempted to stay on the kerb throughout Sunday’s final, but that led to her getting boxed in on a couple of occasions and she had to move out wide on the closing straight before launching her late medal-winning charge.

“If I had a clear run on the home straight I think it would have been a different story,” she said.

“For me, it’s a fantastic place to be, to be a little bit disappointed with a medal in the European seniors. I’m ecstatic with a little bit of disappointment. That’s a testament to any athlete who wants to do even better than they have.

“I wanted to run the shortest race, get the inside line but that means it can be messy.”

“It was a very slow tactical race for 1500. I made sure I had something in the tank for the last 100 because through the whole championship, that’s what’s winning medals, people being able to hold on and kick for that last 100.

“I know I have a kick and I can out kick any girl in the field. I wish I’d had another 10 metres on that home straight,” she added.

“I was saying in my head, ‘this is fantastic girls, keep running slow because I’m happy to out sprint you come the end. I tried to take the inside and one of the girls cut me off. I’m a little bit frustrated; I wish I had a clear run at that home straight. I know now I’m not tired. I finished that race and I nearly want to put my head in my hands, and go, ‘God, there’s more in me’!”

Now free from injury and in outstanding form, the 24-year-old is straining at the leash to make up for lost time.

“This time three years ago I was having ankle surgery so to be a little bit disappointed only to have a bronze, and to be one of the only Irish athletes ever to win a medal at a Europeans, I have to take everyone’s advice and just enjoy it,” she said.

“I’m excited, I have another championship this summer and this is a very good position for me to be in. This is ground zero and I’m going to keep building on that. This is my very first medal for Ireland as a senior – hopefully it’s the first of many.

“Whenever I walk off that ferry boat in Portaferry I have the people smiling at me and saying ‘you’re putting our little town on the map. It’s not only Portaferry it’s the parishes around me, parishes I would have been big rivals with growing up. I wouldn’t have dreamed of going near their club jerseys.

“When I was playing camogie you wouldn’t have put a Ballycran jersey anywhere near me. These people are getting behind me and showing me support. It’s everyone around Northern Ireland and Ireland. I can’t thank them enough.”