Ciara Mageean will arrive in Paris with some “unfinished business” to take care of at the Olympics.
The Portaferry athlete missed out on selection for London 12 years ago and in Rio in 2016 she failed to reach the final.
On the eve of the Tokyo Games three years ago, Mageean suffered the heartbreak of a calf injury that contributed to her elimination in the heats.
Since 2021 however, Mageean has put together the best three seasons of her career.
Commonwealth Games and European silver medals followed in 2022 as well as a first Diamond League victory.
National records at 800m, 1000m, 1500m and the mile fell to Mageean, who also finished fourth at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.
Then in April she claimed the European 1500m gold medal in Rome, a first major championship title.
Now Mageean has a third crack at the Olympics.
“I try to keep it somewhat contained because you could get a little too heightened and carried away with the thoughts of being too far in the future,” she said.
“There’s certain paths and steps I have to take to be in my best shape there.
“But don’t get me wrong, whenever there’s training sessions that I’m finding particularly tough, there’s a little bit in my head that says Olympic Games, Olympic Games, Olympic Games.
“There’s a reason I’m doing this. The Olympics holds a special place in the world of sport. It happens once every four years. World Championships are just as competitive, if not more competitive in some aspects.
“But the Olympics has that special hold on all of us. This will be my third Olympic Games. I feel I’ve unfinished business at it.”
Mageean getting better with age
Mageean’s best years have come since she turned 30, an amazing achievement but she knows that realistically this is her last and best opportunity to make her mark at the Olympics.
And it’s advice from her late coach Jerry Kiernan that she turns to.
“Whenever I think of the age I am and where I’m performing well, I often think back to what Jerry told me back in the day.
“I missed almost my entire U23 career due to injury and then I had a pretty rocky 20s in the sport and I had periods of time where I missed a championship because of injury.
“Jerry always told me that it will stand to me, that my ‘running’ age is younger and that I’ll get that at the end of my career. I would have thought I was going to peak at 27 or 28 and instead I’ve peaked beyond 30.
“I think there was a lot of knowledge behind Jerry’s wise words, so I often think of him whenever I think of what age I am. I know the pressure that came after my first year of doing well. I thought, can I replicate that the following year?
“I did. Then I was like, okay, can I do it last year? I came fourth in the world with a new personal best and a new national record. So now I’m actually like, there’s nothing to lose. I’m going out there and I’m trying to improve myself.
“I’m trying to be the best that I can be and there’s a joy in trying to pursue that. So I’m going to enjoy that path towards it.”
Mageean targets Olympic medal
However, the degree of difficulty that Mageean faces in competing for a medal in Paris cannot be overestimated.
In fact it was emphasised recently at the Diamond League meeting in Paris when the magnificent Faith Kipyegon from Kenya smashed her own 1500m world record, running an astonishing 3:49.04.
Mageean ran a season’s best 3:58 which was only good enough for 10th place.
A week later she finished 10th again in the 2000m in Monaco, a long way behind winner Jess Hull of Australia, who set a new world record for the rarely run distance.
“I’m not happy with that performance,” Mageean admitted afterwards. “It’s not where I want to be or where I should be. I’m disappointed, but I have a few more weeks training before the big dance so my aim is to get some hard work done. I’ll continue to have faith in the process.”
Mageean is a championship runner and three rounds of racing in five days is a lot different from a one-off Diamond League event with pace-makers.
So there’s no panic.
“My full focus is on Paris. These races, to be honest with you, are stepping stones to the big one.”
