CIARA MAGEEAN DELIVERED the best 1500m performance of her career in Tuesday’s World Championship final in Budapest, setting a new national record as she agonisingly missed out on a medal.
Mageean ran a magnificent 3:56.61 to finish fourth in a world-class field as Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon was crowned world champion for the third time in a time of 3:54.87.
In doing so, she broke her own Irish national record and personal best, set in Brussels last September, by two-hundredths of a second.
Diribe Welteji of Ethiopia took silver (3:55.69) with Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands taking bronze (3:56.00).
𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝟭𝟱𝟬𝟬𝗺 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹! @ciaramageean runs a brilliant 3:56.61 to claim fourth in the world and a new National Record! 🇮🇪
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) August 22, 2023
Gold goes to the phenomenal Faith Kipyegon. 🥇#TeamIreland #WorldAthleticsChamps #Budapest2023 pic.twitter.com/fW2cDvcaOZ
After coming through the heats and semi-finals in impressive fashion, Portaferry’s Mageean knew that she would need to produce something special if she was to win Ireland’s first world championship medal on the track since Sonia O’Sullivan in 1995.
And as Kipyegon sought to dictate proceedings from the gun, Mageean, 31, had herself nicely positioned at the head of affairs, tucked in behind the double world and Olympic champion.
She held that position and was fourth at the bell, and as Kipyegon and Welteji upped the pace from the front to try to shake off their rivals, Mageean held firm while Nelly Chepchirchir of Kenya started to faded beside her.
Hassan, determined to banish her 10,000m final nightmare of last Sunday, eased on to Mageean’s shoulder and then passed her with around 200 metres to go.
From there, it looked likely that the race for silver and bronze would be contested by three: Welteji, Hassan and Mageean.
As Kipyegon powered to victory, running an eye-watering 56.8 seconds for her final lap, Mageean threw everything she had at her rivals in the home straight but could not close the gap.
