For Ciara Mageean, the crushing disappointment of missing out on the Paris 2024 Olympic Games through injury is still very raw.
Mageean pulled out of the 1500m on the eve of her heat in France in August with “painful chronic Achilles issues”.
But the Team Ireland athlete is already looking forward to the future with optimism as she continues her recovery from surgery and focuses on new goals, including potentially taking in the next Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
“I have a long road of recovery ahead,” Mageean told BBC Sport NI.
“Four years is a long time. I’m 32. I’ll be 36 at the next Olympic Games but all I can say is I’m very motivated for it. I’m determined to be there.
“I don’t know what the path ahead will hold but I’ll be giving it absolutely everything to tow that line, fit and healthy, and be able to finally have an Olympic Games that I can walk away proud of.”
‘Managing ankle issue for years’
Mageean’s enforced withdrawal was the latest chapter in a number of Olympic heartbreaks for the athlete from the town of Portaferry in Northern Ireland.
The County Down woman narrowly missed out on a place in the final of her event in 2016 and a calf injury a week before her heat in the delayed Tokyo Games saw her eliminated at the first time of asking.
This year, she won the 1500m at the European Championships in Rome in June, but had struggled for form in the Diamond League events in Monaco and Paris in the build-up to the Games.
“I’ve been managing an ankle issue for years, this is not a new occurrence for me,” explained Mageean.
“For the past eight years I’ve been dealing with pain in my right ankle that ranges from being slightly uncomfortable when I’m going about my day-to-day activities to actually not being able to physically run and sitting on the stairs contemplating if I can continue, if I need to retire from the sport.
“It’s always been about micro-managing around my ankle and the summer was going well, the European Champs was obviously phenomenal and I was delighted to finally get that gold medal.”
Preparations for the Olympics subsequently progressed, until persistent pain in her ankle after a training session two weeks before the Games led to the difficult decision to withdraw from Paris 2024.
“I had two injections into the ankle, into different aspects to see if we could settle down the pain and unfortunately it didn’t which resulted in me having to make the decision the day before I was going to commence my third Olympic Games that I’d have to withdraw.
“It was absolutely heartbreaking and devastating to have to make that decision. The fact I didn’t know I’d be able to make it through the race was the main factor. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to do myself justice out there.”
‘I couldn’t bring myself to watch 1500m’
Mageean explained that she was unable to watch the women’s Olympics 1500m races.
“I didn’t watch those races because I couldn’t bring myself to do that and I still haven’t watched them. Maybe some day I’ll be able to sit down and watch them but it’s not going to be anytime soon. I’m on a road of recovery and that grieving cycle is still rolling around.
“You have to roll with the punches and I’ve had beautiful moments. The European Championships was one of them. I’m very determined that that won’t be my last memory of an Olympic Games so it’s given me more fire in my belly for another four-year cycle.”
Mageean had surgery 10 weeks ago, is now able to walk again, and has settled in Northern Ireland for the first time since she went to university at 19 years old.
“I’m in a building phase. Rehab is going well. I won’t be able to run for another while, the surgeon suggests it’s maybe six months post-surgery.
“Some people have said they felt I’d retire after the Games but that’s not in my thinking, not in my psyche. I want to leave this sport on my terms.
“The World Championships are fairly late in the season next year and I feel like I could get in shape to go out there and race. Maybe I won’t be in the shape of my life given I will have had surgery just a year before but that’s a good goal to have while going through this process.”
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