Ciara Mageean produced one of her best championship performances to win the silver medal in the 1,500 metres in the closing session of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Scotland’s Laura Muir broke for home at the bell and only Mageean could give chase, the gap just a little much to bridge however and she settled for silver in a season’s best of 4:04.14, Muir taking the win in 4:02.75 to go win the bronze medal she won in the 800m
The 21 year-old Australian Abbey Caldwell finished fastest of the rest to win bronze in 4:04.79, Mageean and Muir both falling to the track shortly after crossing the line so complete was their effort.
It’s Mageean’s third championship medal, the 30 year from Down also winning bronze at the 2016 European Championships in Amsterdam over 1,500m, and bronze again at that same distance at the 2019 European Indoor Championships in Glasgow.
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It’s also a second athletics medal for Northern Ireland at the Games, when, thanks to a spectacular javelin throw in the penultimate event, Kate O’Connor won silver in the heptathlon following a brilliant series of performances over the two days.
O’Connor went into day two second behind defending champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson from England, her fourth place finish in the final event, the 800m, sealed her silver medal, scoring a season best of 6233 points, gold going to Johnson-Thompson with her 6377 points.
Mageean and O’Connor next move on to the European Championships which get underway in the Munich Olympic stadium beginning on Monday week, August 15th.Mageean is one of three previous medal winners are among the 38 Irish athletes selected for the championships: Thomas Barr of Ferrybank AC won bronze in the 400 metres hurdles four years ago in Berlin and is back seeking another podium place, and Mark English (Finn Valley AC), who also won 800m bronze in Zurich in 2014.
They will spearhead the Irish team alongside world indoor finalist Sarah Lavin (Emerald AC). Rhasidat Adeleke (Tallaght AC) will race the individual 400m and the 4x400m relay, one of three relay teams along with a men’s 4x100m and women’s 4x100m.
