Sarah Healy wins 1,500m at Diamond League in Rome
Sarah Healy
produced a magnificent finishing kick to win the 1,500 metres at the Rome Diamond League meeting on Friday night.
Just like she did in winning the European Indoor title over 3,000m last March, Healy bided her time over the last 150 metres, holding third coming into the homestretch behind leader Susan Ejore from Kenya, and Australia's Sarah Billings.
Just when Billings moved in front and looked poised for victory, Healy came again and took the win in 3:59.17, a rare Irish victory on the Diamond League stage inside the Stadio Olimpico. Billings held on for second in 3:59.24, with fellow Australian Abbey Caldwell coming through for third in 3:59.32.
It was Healy's first outdoor 1,500m race this season, the 24-year-old already improving her 3,000m best to 8:27.02 in finishing third in the Rabat Diamond League 10 days ago.
READ MORE
In a stacked field of 15 women, 13 of which had run sub-4:00, Healy again showed her growing confidence since her indoor success in March, which she followed with a sixth-place finish in the World Indoors.
She will race the 1,500m again in Paris on June 20th. Her best stands at 3:57.46, run at the Paris Diamond League last July, which looks under threat, as does Ciara Mageean's Irish record of 3:55.87, clocked in Brussels in 2023.
Cathal Doyle ran a lifetime best of 3:32.15 in the men's 1,500m earlier in the night, although that left him back in 14th place, where the 16 finishers all ran sub-3:33. Victory went to Azeddine Habz from France, in a season best of 3:29.72, ahead of Kenya's 2019 World champion Cheruiyot Timothy, who clocked 3:39.75.
It took a full second off Doyle's previous best of 3:33.15 set last year, the Dublin athlete moving closer to qualification for the World Championships in Tokyo in September.
Kenya's Beatrice Chebet, the double Olympic champion from Paris last summer, produced another stellar run to clock the second fastest 5,000m time in history with her 14:03.69, just two and half seconds outside the world record.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
Live URC semi-final updates: Leinster v Glasgow Warriors
URC semi-final: Leinster v Glasgow Warriors, Aviva Stadium, kick-off 2.45pm 1 minute ago The teams: LEINSTER: Jimmy O'Brien; Tommy O'Brien, Jamie Osborne, Jordie Barrett, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Thomas Clarkson; Joe McCarthy, James Ryan; Ryan Baird, Scott Penny, Jack Conan (capt). Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Jack Boyle, Rabah Slimani, RG Snyman, Max Deegan, Luke McGrath, Ross Byrne, Ciarán Frawley. GLASGOW WARRIORS: Josh McKay; Kyle Steyn (capt), Sione Tuipulotu, Tom Jordan, Kyle Rowe; Adam Hastings, George Horne; Jamie Bhatti, Gregor Hiddleston, Fin Richardson; Alex Samuel, Scott Cummings; Euan Ferrie, Rory Darge, Henco Venter. Replacements: Johnny Matthews, Rory Sutherland, Sam Talakai, Max Williamson, Jack Mann, Macenzzie Duncan, Stafford McDowall, Jamie Dobie. Referee : Andrea Piardi (FIR). 5 minutes ago Good afternoon and welcome to the Irish Times blog of Leinster's URC semifinal against Glasgow in Aviva Stadium. A dull and overcast day in Dublin but dry, Leinster are without a number of frontline players including Garry Ringrose, Hugo Keenan, Caelan Doris, Tadhg Furlong and Josh van der Flier. A place in next week's final is up for Grabs.
The Irish Sun
6 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
‘Really happy' Irish star Sarah Healy ‘having a lot of fun' after sensational first-ever Diamond League victory in Rome
SARAH HEALY declared "I'm having a lot of fun" after securing his first ever win at the Diamond League. The Irish star ran 3:59.17 to romp to victory in the 1,500m at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Friday night. Advertisement The Dubliner surged to the front in the last 40 metres to edge Australian duo Sarah Billings (3:59.24) and Abbey Caldwell (3:59.32). And she said: 'I'm obviously really happy to come away with the win. 'It was a really competitive field, I thought it wouldn't be crazy quick and it was quite crowded, there was a lot of bodies and I was further back than I wanted to be the whole time. "But I tried to stay patient and in the last lap I had to make a good few moves, which I was happy with, especially on the home straight. Advertisement Read More on Sarah Healy 'I know my shape is good, I ran a big 3km PB two weeks ago so I know I'm really fit. "Hopefully a PB in the 1500m is coming for me soon but today, I just wanted to compete for the win. "I know I'm good at hard, fast races, but races like this were more where I struggled so I'm really, really happy to win – it's really cool.' Healy has been edging towards victory in recent times, having finished third in the 3,000m at the Rabat Diamond League. Advertisement Most read in Athletics She will next race in 1,500m at the Paris Diamond League on June 20, and revealed the secret behind her success. She added: 'I'm having a lot of fun which is the main thing. Inside Sarah Healy's life beyond athletics from impressive college degree to passion for travelling the globe 'And it's probably why I'm running so well.' 2025 is already set up to be a stunning year for Healy, who claimed European gold as recently as March. Advertisement The Irish star dominated the 3,000m at the Euro Indoors, crossing the line in a brilliant 8:52.86, She followed that up by finishing Healy was in contention throughout and only lost touch with the leaders in the final 400m when gold medal winner Freweyni Hailu of Ethiopia kicked clear. Healy crossed the line in 8.40.00, just 13 days after she won the European title in Apeldoorn. Advertisement She said: 'It was a pretty solid race from me. I put myself in the right position from the start. 'I expected the race to be faster, it ended up being slow with a big wind-up towards the end. 'When the big move was made at three laps to go, I was a little too far back and had a lot to make up. 'I think sixth is a pretty solid result for me and I'm pretty happy with it, but it does leave me hungry for more.' Advertisement 1 Sarah Healy claimed her first ever Diamond League victory in Rome Credit: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
Irish Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ireland track star kicks up the straight to win her first Diamond League meeting
Sarah Healy confirmed herself as one of the world's top middle-distance runners by winning her first ever Diamond League meeting in Rome on Friday night. The Dubliner, 24, showed tremendous grit to kick up the home straight and pass Australia's Sarah Billings as the line approached at the Stadio Olimpico. It was a season-best time of 3:59.17 over 1500m for Healy, and a continuation of her outstanding form. Healy won gold in the 3000m at the 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships in the Netherlands in March. And the UCD AC star opened her outdoor season with a 3000m PB and a third-placed finish at the Rabat leg a fortnight ago. 'I'm obviously really happy to come away with the win,' Healy said after the race. 'It was a really competitive field. I kind of thought it wouldn't be crazy quick tonight, and it wasn't. It was quite crowded, I think we're all capable of running around the same time so there were a lot of bodies. I was a little further back, I wanted to be the whole time. I just tried to stay patient. 'In the last lap, I had to make a good few moves, which I'm happy with, especially on the home straight.' She added: 'I know my shape is good. I ran a big 3k PB three weeks ago, so I know I'm really fit. Hopefully a PB in the 1500m [currently 3:57.46] is coming for me soon, but today I wanted to just compete for the win. 'I know I'm good at hard, fast races, but races like this have probably been more where I struggled, so I'm really, really happy to win tonight. It's really cool. 'I'm having a lot of fun, which is the main thing, and probably why I'm running so well." Healy is set to next compete at the Paris Diamond League meeting on Friday, 20 June.
