There’s something about Ciara Mageean.
So honest in her interviews, so genuine in her actions.
The girl from Portaferry went up against the best in the world in the World 1500 metre final at the World Championships in Doha and she finished a creditable 10th place.
A highly creditable 10th place. This, as we found out soon after she’d crossed the line, was the fastest championship 1500 metre race in history.
Ciara Mageean was in elite company. But she showed herself to have been right at home.
With Sifan Hassan, the incredible Dutch athlete setting a break-neck pace, Mageean knew that this was going to be a hard, honest race.
But rather than make the hasty decision of trying to stay up top, Mageean wisely chose to bide her time and her effort.
She faded ever so slightly as the leaders bounded their way towards the final lap, but the Down girl doesn’t go down easy and she kept on pushing away even when her legs had turned to jelly.
What it finished up with was 4.00.15 PB time with Mageean the tenth best in the world.
As she says herself afterwards in a brilliant, typically genuine interview with David Gillick after the race, ‘it’s not bad for a wee girl from Portaferry.’
There’s no doubt about that.
Listen to Mageean’s beaming, infectious honesty here.
“I think everybody can see I’m a different athlete now. Aye, I’m so nervous, but I’m enjoying it. I don’t want to have any sad faces coming off a track. We do it because we love it. I’m grateful to be able to wear this vest.”
"That's not a bad place for a wee girl from Portaferry."
Something so honest and genuine about Ciara Mageean.
The whole country is proud of her 🇮🇪pic.twitter.com/7WCVh6jTbQ
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) October 5, 2019
It’s a break now. All roads lead to Tokyo 2020.
You couldn’t but take to Ciara Mageean.
