Mageean pips Healy in Irish 1-2 in Ostrava meeting

Ciara Mageean overhauled compatriot Sarah Healy on the final straight in an Irish 1-2 in the women’s 1500m at the Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava this evening.

The Irish pair, who are both Rome-bound for the European Championships in June, made their move in the final lap, with UCD’s Healy taking the lead with 150 metres remaining.

Mageean was still well back in seventh at this stage but mounted a major spurt around the final bend and the home straight to win in a time of four minutes 01.98 seconds.

Healy finished second in 4:02.12, with Britain’s Revee Walcott-Nolan back in third in 4:02.42..

Luke McCann ran a personal best of 3:34.32 to finish third in the men’s 1500m as Italy’s Federico Riva clocked 3:33.53 to see off Austria’s Raphael Pallitsch by six hundredths of a second.

The run places McCann fifth on the all-time Irish list over the distance, behind Andrew Coscoran’s national record of 3:30.42 set in Poland last July.

Sophie Becker finished last of the seven athletes in the 400m in 51.82 as Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek stormed to victory in 50.09, with home hope Lurdes Gloria Manuel and Andrea Miklos of Romania filling the podium places.