ON MONDAY MORNING, over 3000 miles and five years from the scene of her success, Roisin McGettigan discovered that she would finally be rewarded.
The Wicklow-born 1500 metre athlete was at the peak of her powers in 2008 and 2009, reaching the final in her event in the Beijing Games and carrying that momentum through to the indoor season the following year.
McGettigan finished in an agonising fourth place in the 2009 European Indoor final in Turin 0.14 seconds outside the medals and almost a full four seconds behind the day’s winner, Anna Alminova.
“Luckily I made the final and I had a great race. I was pipped on the line for fourth, so I was thrilled with the achievement.”
Now that Alminova has incurred her second doping ban from the sport, the IAAF have moved to strip the Russian of all results from February 2009, meaning that McGettigan is now waiting to get her hands on the bronze medal she so narrowly missed out on.
The winning feeling, for McGettigan at least, is not that can be replicated.
Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
“Now I can look at things in perspective and I kind of regret that I never got to celebrate with everybody or do something for Ireland.
“I’ve always gotten so much from the sport – intrinsic value and all that – but it’s great to see Irish athletes on the podium and the whole ceremony of it.”
Silver and bronze medallists on the day Natalia Rodriguez and Sonja Roman will feel a similar tinge of having missed out, but instead of a podium, garlands and a medal; McGettigan was sat in a sandbox with her toddler and newborn girls outside her Rhode Island home when she was told the news via Twitter.
I was sitting in a sandbox with my kids when I found out I had won European bronze -- Roisin McGettigan
ON MONDAY MORNING, over 3000 miles and five years from the scene of her success, Roisin McGettigan discovered that she would finally be rewarded.
The Wicklow-born 1500 metre athlete was at the peak of her powers in 2008 and 2009, reaching the final in her event in the Beijing Games and carrying that momentum through to the indoor season the following year.
McGettigan finished in an agonising fourth place in the 2009 European Indoor final in Turin 0.14 seconds outside the medals and almost a full four seconds behind the day’s winner, Anna Alminova.
“I went in and I had a great Championship,” McGettigan told Today FM’s Ray D’Arcy Show.
“Luckily I made the final and I had a great race. I was pipped on the line for fourth, so I was thrilled with the achievement.”
Now that Alminova has incurred her second doping ban from the sport, the IAAF have moved to strip the Russian of all results from February 2009, meaning that McGettigan is now waiting to get her hands on the bronze medal she so narrowly missed out on.
The winning feeling, for McGettigan at least, is not that can be replicated.
“Now I can look at things in perspective and I kind of regret that I never got to celebrate with everybody or do something for Ireland.
“I’ve always gotten so much from the sport – intrinsic value and all that – but it’s great to see Irish athletes on the podium and the whole ceremony of it.”
Silver and bronze medallists on the day Natalia Rodriguez and Sonja Roman will feel a similar tinge of having missed out, but instead of a podium, garlands and a medal; McGettigan was sat in a sandbox with her toddler and newborn girls outside her Rhode Island home when she was told the news via Twitter.
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Athletics Back To The Future mile roisin mcgettigan run a mile turin 2009