Emma Duffy Reports from Stade de France

GRETA STREIMIKYTE’S GOAL for Paris 2024 was simple.

“To leave everything on the track, and whatever happens, happens,” she told The 42 in mid July.

Lying on the purple surface at the Stade de France after the Women’s T13 1500m final, it was clear she had achieved that much. 

And a hell of a lot more.

Streimikyte finished fourth, and improved her European record to 4:32.28.

This was also a season’s best by over three seconds and her fastest run in any major championships.

But it was another frustrating fourth place for the three-time Paralympian — she was just short of the podium in Rio eight years ago, and fifth in Tokyo — and for Ireland this summer.

More heartbreak on this purple track in Saint-Denis.

Ethiopia’s Tigist Gezahagn Menigstu stormed to gold in 4:22.39, with the three medallists almost 10 seconds clear of the rest of the field in a thrilling, busy race.

Menigstu led from start to finish. Streimikyte went with the defending champion, and was second for the first lap of a typically tactical and technical 1500m.

“It’s a game – and whoever plays the game best wins. Simple as that,” Streimikyte told us last month.

Her initial plan was to hit the front. Menigstu did that.

“I didn’t really execute it maybe the way I wanted but then you have to think what is the best way to work around it,” Streimikyte reflected afterwards.

Different approach, so. No problem.

“I just need to latch on,” the Lithuanian-born vison-impaired athlete told herself as it all unfolded.

But then came the pack — and the guides. They surrounded, and then surpassed Streimikyte, who began to drift from a lap-and-a-half. “Let them,” she thought. “This is grand.”

Hold on. Dig deep. Don’t drift too far.

Streimikyte during the race. Tom Maher / INPHO Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO

That appeared a challenge. She started to fade. At 800m, Streimikyte was sixth.

But she settled. She felt strong, and her goal was always to finish in that vein. Keep something for the last 400m.  

The eventual medallists — Morocco’s Fatima Ezzahara El Idrissi and Liza Corso of USA took silver and bronze — had roared into a clear 1-2-3, but Streimikyte fought on.

“The race is not finished until you cross that finish line. I learned myself from Tokyo, dying the last 200m and then being passed. I just had to remain focused and just make sure I just had that bit for the last lap because you don’t know what can happen. I just tried to remain as strong as I could

“I felt I was going to have something.”

She did. At the bell, she was fifth, and then she made her move to fourth — past Tunisian Paralympic record holder and Rio 2016 champion Somaya Bousaid, who she beat for the first time.

But fourth was how would end. Again.

The 29-year-old lay on the track. Her legs were shaky, a sure sign that she emptied herself. Both physically and emotionally.

“Tears all the time after major championships,” Streimikyte sighed, like her housemate Ellen Keane who also finished fourth last night.

“I just did as best I can. I was a bit too far away to challenge for the medals, but I tried. It’s hard for me to tell how well I executed the race, because it changed from my plan.

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“I don’t know what would have been the regrets, but definitely I pushed as hard as I could. Maybe tactically, I should have done something better but at the moment, I don’t know.”

The time for reflection will come.

And the rebound.

“The fourth, it is always a bit painful for me because it feels like I am just stuck in that fourth or fifth.

“But hopefully not too long more.”