Mageean achieves Olympic B Standard
Ciara Mageean
European junior silver medallist Ciara Mageean took a major step towards selection for London 2012 when she sliced over 2 secs off her NI 1,500 metres record in a British Milers Club meeting in Birmingham at the weekend.
Her new record of 4 mins 7.45 secs beats the 4.09.51 old record she set a year ago when gaining silver in the World Junior Championships in Canada. It also equates to a "B" standard for next year's Olympics and is only 0.65 secs short of the "A" qualification time.
Ciara's latest scintillating performance comes only a week after her PB time over 800 metres in Belfast.In Birmingham her plan was to attack the longer distance in order to get closer to her Canadian time.
In this she exceeded all expectations when she took full advantage of some perfect pacemaking. With a lap to go the Portaferry woman's opposition included British Olympian Jemma Simpson of Newquay and Austria's Jennifer Wenth who had finished 9th in Canada.
Ciara made her break with 180 metres left but was continually attacked by Simpson in the home straight. However, Mageean was not to be denied and she hung on grimly to cross the line a mere 0.08 secs ahead of her Newquay rival who ran a season's best time. Wenth was 3rd in 4.11.74.
Ciara's time which is a new Irish Junior record places her 4th on the Irish All Time list behind Sonia O'Sullivan. Afterwards Ciara said she was delighted with her race which had gone perfectly to plan.
She had not expected such a fast time which could have been even quicker and within the Olympic "A" standard had it not been for a stiff breeze in the home straight.
Mageean's run realises her true potential following early season injury setbacks. It elevates her to a level where she can now access the top meetings on the European circuit next month following the World Champs.
Coach Eamon Christie is keen for the 19 year old to take full advantage of her red hot form although an additional factor to be considered for the future is her acceptance by UCD for a vetinary science degree course.
In the Women's steeplechase Newcastle's Kerry Harty finished 2nd in 10.16.74. Armagh's Stephen Kerr won the "C" 5,000 metres with a huge PB of 14.57.41. North Belfast's Stephen Scullion was 3rd in the Frank Duffy 10 miles in Dublin in a time of 49 mins.
