CIARA Mageean wore a bittersweet smile as she insisted that “now people will fear when they see a wee tricolour up on the start line” after a brilliant yet agonising run in the 1500m World Championships final.
Mageean threw absolutely everything she had at it, running an Irish record but finishing fourth, six-tenths of a second short of what would have been an historic medal and less than a second shy of silver.
The Portaferry athlete produced an incredible performance in a race won by Kenya’s now three-time world champion Faith Kipyegon.
Having been given a “tough draw” at number one, Mageean reacted brilliantly to Kipyegon’s early surge and tucked right in behind her, staying on the leader’s tail until the final bend when the champion opened up for home and the Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan made her customary burst to take the bronze medal away.
It was bittersweet for Mageean, who ran an incredible 3:56.61, just over six-tenths of a second shy of a podium place.
“I just know I have it. It’s there,” she told Virgin TV afterwards.
“I’ve got another year until the Olympics. I’m putting myself up in a fighting place in the 1500m, challenging the best in the world. First European back, so I just have a few African scalps to take on next.
“My mindset was to go out and run hard as I could. To go out there and leave everything on the track. I did that. Faith was beside me. It’s tough being drawn number one but I got myself out and stayed behind Faith. I only wish a little more in that final 100m.
"I ran the race perfectly, I did as best I could. As my Mummy says, all you can do is your best. I have to walk away with my head held high but I am disappointed not to get a medal around my neck and see the tricolour raised in the stadium.
“I definitely do feel that I’m up there. I’ve earned my place. And now people will fear when they see a wee tricolour up on the startline.”
Diribe Welteji of Ethiopia took silver.
Mageean, who had run the fastest mile in Irish history earlier this year but broken four minutes just once this season at this distance, met Kipyegon’s attempt to blow off the field by sticking tight to her right from the beginning.
The first 800m were relatively slow, with the Kenyan clocking 2:11.78 at that point, but having set the pace she upped it considerably and ran an astonishingly quick second half, finishing in 3:54.87.
Mageean’s Scottish friend and rival Laura Muir seemed well positioned coming to the final lap but after a tough year, she fell away. Her British team-mates Katie Snowden and Melissa Courtney-Bryant finished eighth and 12th respectively.
While there was no medal for Mageean, the 31-year-old’s performance was nothing short of incredible in a field led by one of the all-time greats.
The time she ran shaved 0.02 seconds off her own Irish record that she’d set in Brussels last year when triumphing at the Diamond League meeting.
She went on to push Kipyegon to the wire six days later and while the victor had a bit more in the tank this time, Mageean was defiant to the last, her hopes only dying in the home straight as Hassan came past her.
