CIARA Mageean positioned herself as a medal contender at next month’s World Athletics Championships in Hungary when she finished runner-up in what has been described as the “greatest women’s mile ever.”
In the process, Mageean recorded a time of four minutes 14.58 seconds to shatter Sonia O'Sullivan's long-standing Irish record of 4:17.25, which was set in Oslo almost exactly 29 years earlier.
Running in the Herculis Meeting in Monaco, a Diamond League fixture, the Portaferry woman unleashed a fantastic burst down the final straight to move away from the chasing pack and grab second place.
Ahead of her, Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon set a sensational new world record of 4:07.64, a time most men would still be proud to match.
Seven women in the field set national records, including Scotland’s Laura Muir, who took over two seconds off Zola Budd's 38-year-old British mark. Four of those also broke continental records.
It was Kipyegon’s third world record in the last two months, having earlier written new figures for 1500m and 5000m, and her mile time improved on Sifan Hassan’s previous mark of 4:12.33.
Mageean also moved a long way into new territory, having entered the race with a personal best of 4:19.03. She now finds herself ranked fifth on the all-time list for the women’s mile.
The City of Lisburn athlete also put herself into the reckoning for a medal at the World Athletics Championships which start in Budapest on August 19.
She is currently ranked 13th in the 1500m but several of those above her are likely to opt for longer distances in Budapest, while Mageean has now beaten a number of those with faster marks this season.
"I think it's been my best season yet,” Mageean said afterwards.
“I’ve opened it strong and have stayed consistent. Today I ran an Irish record over the mile. I am really proud of myself for that. I feel I am in a really good place to go the World Championships. When you know you are in a good shape, it's a bit more scary because you really know that you can achieve your goals."
Her compatriot Rhasidat Adeleke may be starting to realise that life as a professional may not be a bed of roses for her.
After foregoing her final year of an athletics scholarship at the University of Texas to pursue a full-time career in the sport, Adeleke finished fourth in the 400m after clocking 49.99 in lane five.
The Tallaght athlete, who holds the Irish record at 49.20 seconds, was in contention for the win coming off the final bend but had no answer to the finishing speed of Poland's Natalia Kaczmarek, who took the victory in 49.63.
Three nights earlier, Adeleke had finished second over 200m to Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson in Budapest.
Two Irish athletes, Andrew Coscoran and Michelle Finn, were competing at Sunday's London Grand Prix.
Coscoran was two seconds outside his recent Irish 1500m record with a 3:32.42 clocking in 14th place of a hyper-competitive 1500m, in which 12 men ran under 3:32, won by America’s Yared Nuguse in 3:30.44.
Finn set a season’s best of 9:34.76 in taking 10th place in the 3000m steeplechase, well behind winner Kenya’s Jackline Chepkoech, who recorded a world-leading 8:57.35.
