‘It’s bittersweet, I came here to get Olympic standard’ – Luke McCann sets new 1500m personal best at Stockholm Diamond League

McCann returned to action last month after an extended layoff with injury but has been in impressive form since, clocking 3:34.32 last week In Ostrava.

In Stockholm, he came home a close second behind Robert Farken of Germany (3:33.53) and while he has yet to secure the automatic Olympic standard (3:33.50), the time and bonus points will ensure he’s within the cut-off to secure a place via world rankings.

He will be skipping the Europeans in Rome next week to focus on two more attempts, at the New York Grand Prix on June 9 and the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku on June 18.

“Listen, it’s a PB, I was 3.36.7 coming into this year but I suffered from a stress fracture back in January,” he told the Irish Independent beneath a searing, scorching sun.

“We planned a big US trip to attack the time early in Boston in the indoor season, but that put an end to all of that and to be honest all of the doctors I saw and all the specialists were telling me to write off the year. I had eight weeks off exercise completely.

“I wasn’t even allowed cross-train and it was the end of February that I was back in the pool and on the cross trainer. I was only back running the very end of March, so I’m only nine weeks back running.

“Like we’ve given Rome a skip this year, the Europeans. That was always the plan, my coach told me he’d get me in shape by the end of June, even for one race, and then it’s my job.

“It’s come back a bit sooner than we thought, the fitness is there, it’s bittersweet, I came here to do it, I attacked it right from the gun, I thought I had it but it is what it is, I got good world ranking points there. I’m in really good shape, it would be a lot of easier to sleep tonight if I got the Olympic standard.”

Sophie Becker was also in action in Stockholm, the Wexford athlete clocking 52.17 to finish third in the pre-programme 400m.

“Given the time, no, not happy,” she said, albeit her rankings leave her better-placed than McCann to perhaps earn a berth via that route instead.

“Times weren’t overall quick. It doesn’t mean I was meant to run slow but it gives it a bit of context.

“It was windy out there, my last 100 fell through probably because I went a bit slow for the first 300, but I’m slowly putting it together brick by brick."

Elsewhere, 25,000 took part in the women’s mini marathon in Dublin, with Íde Nic Dhomhnaill from West Limerick AC leading them home in 33:23. Meghan Ryan of Dundrum South Dublin AC was next best with 34:54, followed by Maebh Richardson from Kilkenny City Harriers with 35:02.

Aoife Cooke and Pawel Kosek took victories at the Cork City Marathon on Sunday morning, with Cooke taking the women’s title in 2:56:33 and Kosek the men’s in 2:23:54. “My favourite mile was definitely that last mile, coming into the finish,” said Cooke, an Olympian in 2021. “I found the last two miles before that really tough but when you get on to Patrick Street, the crowd carries you in – you can’t help but feel ecstatic.”

Clonmel’s William Maunsell was first home in the half marathon, clocking 1:08:13 while Leevale’s Niamh Moore was a class apart in the women’s race, clocking 1:21:21. The 10km saw Michal Wojcik take victory in the men’s race in 31:22 with Niamh O’Mahony of An Ríocht winning the women’s title in 35:25.

At the Irish Schools Championships on Friday and Saturday, over 1000 athletes from 300 schools took to track and field in Tullamore. Emily Bolton of Mount Sackville had an impressive 1500m-3000m double at intermediate level, while Clodagh Gill of St Mary’s Ballina got the better of Anna Gardiner in a thrilling battle for the senior girls’ 3000m, Gill winning in 10:01.98.

Fatima Amusa of Bishopstown CS took the senior girls’ 100m in 12.50 with Sean Aigboboh of Rathgar winning the senior boys’ crown in 10.90. Veronica O’Neill (Thornhill College Derry) was the leading light over hurdles, winning the senior girls’ 400m hurdles in 60.94 and 100m hurdles in 14.52.

Seán Doggett (Colaiste an Eachreidh) finalised his preparations for the upcoming European Championships in Rome by winning the senior boys’ 400m in 48.10, while Freya Renton of Sacred Heart Westport turned in an impressive solo display in the junior girls’ 1500m, clocking 4.27:95 to come up just half a second shy of Emer McKee’s championship record.

The senior boys’ race was billed as one of the races of the day and it delivered as Cormac Dixon (Holy Family Community School) and Sean Cronin (Colaiste Ghlór Na Mara) rounded the final together. Dixon had more left in the home-straight showdown, taking gold in 4:02.43.