With the minimum of fuss and effort both Ciara Mageean and Sarah Healy cruised through their heats of the women’s 1,500 metres on the opening session of the European Athletics Championships inside the Stadio Olimpico on Friday morning.
Only the top six went through in both races into Sunday’s final, and Mageean made sure of that first, the Co Down woman nailing third and looking perfectly composed in the process.
Suitably dressed in sunglasses – the morning sun was both extremely hot and blinding – Mageean bided her time, sitting at the back through the opening two laps as the large field of 15 women remained tightly bunched.
Britain’s Jemma Reekie took the win in 4:06.69, impressing in the process particularly with her 60-second last lap from the front, with the Italian Ludovica Cavalli clearly delighted to take second, clocking 4:06.76.
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Then came Mageean, easing herself from up from fourth down the homestretch, finishing in 4:06.81, the silver medal winner from Munich two years ago well satisfied with her effort.
“Yeah, happy with that. My aim was top six, to be through to the final. That’s all I had to do,” she said. “I wanted to stay out of trouble, and you do have to keep your wits about you at the back of the 1,500m, but I had faith in myself I’d be able to come through, whatever way the tactics unfolded.”
The final is set for Sunday evening at 9.36pm Irish time.
“The plan will be to get out there and aim to get on the podium,” added Mageean. “I feel like I’m ready for whatever tactics unfold, I’m a 3:55 runner, have just run a personal best over 800 metres, so I know the speed is in my legs.
“I feel like I’m coming into this championship as a favourite, which is something I’ve probably never been before, that comes with some added pressure, but not as much pressure as I put on myself. So just get out there, and it would be an absolute dream to hear Amhrán na bhFiann blasting around that stadium.”
In the second heat, the 23-year-old Healy had a more testing race, finishing fourth in 4:12.30, behind Agatha Guillemot from France, who took the win in 4:11.92. Healy narrowly avoided a clash of runners with 200m remaining, which took out two of the field.
“I just had to keep my cool, I’m proud that I was able to adapt, not panic,” said Healy, who like Mageean bided her time at the back, even though that meant running just outside lane one, mainly to stay of out trouble.
“I don’t think I put a foot in lane one, which is a bit frustrating, but again no panic was the name of the game again. I’ve never been in a senior final before, so excited now to see what I can do.”
The last thing Mageean needs any reminding of is her medal record at these championships; she’s finished second, third and fourth, the silver medal coming last time out in Munich, and she’ll certainly look to go one better again on Sunday.
Reekie looks a real threat, however, the 26-year-old already the winner of 800m silver at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow in March, and she has extended her brilliant winter form into the summer with super victories over 800m (1:57.79) in Stockholm and 1,500m (4:02.57) in Chorzow recently.
Mark English also returned to another European Championships on Friday morning, having won 800m bronze in 2014 and again in 2022, his recent performance at last week’s Diamond League Meet in Oslo, running 1:44.95, evidence of his excellent form as he went into the second of four heats.
But despite a bold and brave move in the first lap, English in front at the bell in 52.35 seconds, he had seven runners lined up behind him ready to pounce.
Two got past down the backstretch, English still in third coming into the homestretch, with only the top three sure of progressing to the semi-finals, along with four fastest losers from the four heats.
Approaching the line English faded to fifth, clocking 1:46.73, with Spain’s Adrian Ben taking the win in 1:46.39. And a look at the clock soon revealed English was already the fifth fastest, unfortunately ending his interest in Rome.
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