CIARA MAGEEAN HAS secured a stunning 1500m silver medal at the Commonwealth Games.
Running for Northern Ireland, the Down star clocked a season’s best time of 4:04.14 to finish second after a superb run in Birmingham’s Alexandra Stadium.
Heavy favourite Laura Muir of Great Britain stormed to gold on the final day of the athletics, collecting her second medal in 24 hours.
The Scot won 800m bronze on Saturday – after an appeal over the photo finish from Jamaica was rejected – to claim her first Commonwealth Games medal.
🌟 Medal Alert 🌟
— Athletics NI (@AthleticsNI) August 7, 2022
What a race! It's Silver for Ciara Mageean in the Women's 1500m in 4:04.14 in a season's best time!#Birmingham2022 @GoTeamNI @SportNINet pic.twitter.com/FYor2R9mCT
Just a day later, she claimed 1500m victory in 4:02.75 ahead of 30-year-old Mageean and Australia’s Abbey Caldwell (4:04.75), who pipped compatriot Linden Hall to third.
The medal comes as Mageean’s first-ever Commonwealth Games one at the third time of asking, the 2016 European 1500m bronze medallist finishing fifth at the last edition.
“This is my third Commonwealth Games, and third time lucky,” she told BBC NI afterwards.
“The last Commonwealths, I knew I had the capability of winning a medal, I just wasn’t in the right shape at the right time. To win a medal at this Commonwealths and to bring it back to Northern Ireland… I’m a very proud Irishwoman, but I’m also very proud to be from the North.
“I think all of the athletes here represent the best of what our wee country has, and what we are. It means a lot. It’s very special to do this for Northern Ireland — for Athletics NI too, who do an awful lot for all of us athletes right up. In my early career, really the ones that spotted me in the sport were Athletics NI. This is for everyone back home.”
Fabulous silver medal for @ciaramageean at the Commonwealth Games. 🥈 pic.twitter.com/cHdBPrbZNX
— Stephen Watson (@winkerwatson1) August 7, 2022
- Additional reporting from Press Association
