SENSATIONAL MAGEEAN SMASHES NATIONAL MILE RECORD IN MONACO
Ciara Mageean (City of Lisburn A.C.) has smashed the national mile record that had been held by Sonia O’Sullivan for 29 years this evening.
Competing at the Diamond League meeting in Monaco, Mageean stormed to an incredible second place finish clocking a time of 4.14.58 to knock nearly three seconds off O’Sullivan’s best for the distance.
The 31-year-old was in contention for a good finishing position with a lap to go and kicked strongly in the closing stages to move past world-class athletes including British rival Laura Muir.
Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon took victory in a new world record time of 4.07.64.
The Down woman’s latest national record follows on from the 1500m record (3.56.63) she set last year and the 800m record (1.59.27) she ran at the end of May.
Despite being a less commonly ran distance on the track, Mageean’s mile time is the second fastest in the world this year and the fastest so far by a European.
Two other Irish athletes were also in action in at the Stade Louis-II.
Rhasidat Adeleke (Tallaght A.C.) continued her excellent form as she broke 50 seconds once again to finish fourth in the Women’s 400m in 49.99.
The 20-year-old Dubliner got out hard, slightly fading in the last thirty metres but gave an excellent account of herself in her first ever Diamond League race.
Adeleke holds the national record in the event, with the 49.20 she recorded at the NCAA Division One Championships in Texas last month, taking a historic gold on that occasion.
This evening’s race was won by Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek in 49.63.
Less than a week ago Adeleke announced that she would be turning professional, following an exceptional collegiate career at the University of Texas.
On Tuesday evening she ran over 200m in Hungary where she clocked a time of 22.36, just 0.02s off her national record for the event to finish second at a World Continental Tour Gold meet behind world champion Sherika Jackson (Jamaica).
Both Mageean and Adeleke’s times this evening are under the qualifying standard for both the European Championships in Rome next June and the Olympic Games in Paris later that summer. A mile time can be used for the purposes of qualification in the 1500m, which the Manchester based athlete has now achieved.
Sarah Lavin (Emerald A.C.) also produced a great performance, clocking the second fastest time of her career in the Women’s 100m Hurdles.
The Limerick woman finished seventh in a time of 12.74, just 0.01s off the personal best she set in Stockholm earlier in the month.
It is expected that all three Irish athletes will now return to Ireland to race at the 123.ie National Senior Track and Field Championships in Morton Stadium, Santry on July 29th, and July 30th, as they continue their build-up for the World Athletics Championships that take place in Budapest next month.
- Monaco Diamond League results are HERE