EUROPEAN 1500M BRONZE medalist Ciara Mageean has parted ways with her coach Jerry Kiernan, and is moving to the UK to join Team New Balance.
The move will see the Portaferry native link up with coach Steve Vernon in Manchester, and she’ll make the move in late November.
Mageean has competed under the watchful eye of Kiernan since 2013, and credits him for playing a huge part in her recovery from a nightmare ankle injury.
“Jerry took me on before my ankle surgery and helped me on my journey of recovery,” 25-year-old Mageean said following the news of the split.
“He gave me the confidence to know that I’m as good as any athlete in the world. I have always counted Jerry as a friend as much as a coach.”
For now, she’ll continue her training for the season ahead in Dublin with her key focuses for 2018 set on the Commonwealth Games in April and the European Athletics Championships in August.
After dropping out of the 1500m final at this year’s European Indoor Championships and failing to progress from her heat at the Worlds this year, the Olympian will be hoping for improvements in the coming months and feels that her decision to cross the water will pay off.
“I am confident that Manchester is the right place for me, at this point in my running career,” she continued.
“The change of environment and having a professional team around me day in day out is what I need to make the sort of progress that I want to, to be more consistent and to deliver the results.
“I know I am capable of, especially when I pull on my Irish vest. That is what is most important to me, running for Ireland and representing my country, my family, my friends and myself.”
Mageean also tweeted a statement:
— Ciara Mageean (@ciaramageean) November 10, 2017
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