Sarah Healy produced a courageous performance on her major championship debut over 5,000m, narrowly missing out on a European Athletics Championships medal after a dramatic finish in Birmingham.
The Dublin runner clocked 15:40.95 in a confident and composed display, staying firmly in medal contention throughout the race. Healy positioned herself among the leading pack and moved into third place with just 400 metres remaining, putting herself within touching distance of the podium.
However, the intensity of the final lap saw her slip back to sixth place before she summoned a late surge in a bid to recover. Despite her determined finish, she was unable to secure a medal, being edged out on the line in a thrilling conclusion.
Italy’s Nadia Battocletti claimed a comfortable victory, taking gold in 15:37.84, while Spain’s Marta García finished second. Battocletti’s compatriot Micol Majori completed the podium, narrowly beating Healy with a time of 15:40.65.
Although left just short of a medal, Healy’s performance underlined her ability to compete at the highest level and marked an impressive first championship appearance over the distance.
Onwards to the 1500m later this week for Sarah.
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Photo : Sportsfile/Sam Barnes
