SEATTLE – Ireland’s first gold medal ever at the European U23 Championships was captured this morning by Husky Sophie O’Sullivan. O’Sullivan, who has dual citizenship with Ireland and Australia, broke her own 1,500-meters School Record once again at the meet in Espoo, Finland, running a brilliant 4:07.18 for the victory.
Ireland had never had an athlete strike gold in the meet until today, as O’Sullivan led a 1-2 finish for the nation with Ireland’s Sarah Healy crossing right behind O’Sullivan in second in 4:07.36. Healy came in as one of the top-ranked women in Europe, with a 4:01 season-best, and she led for nearly the full race, as O’Sullivan kept pace generally in third or fourth. As the pace picked up on the final lap, O’Sullivan made her move around Healy on the turn into the homestretch and was able to hold her off.
O’Sullivan took nearly a second off her PR of 4:08.06, set earlier this season at NCAA Prelims.
That sprint finish! ??
Sophie O’Sullivan ???? leads an Irish 1-2 in the 1500m and wins Ireland’s first gold medal in European U23 Championships! ??
And a lifetime best of 4:07.18 as well! ??#Espoo2023 pic.twitter.com/dHqU6Q2UJ8
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) July 16, 2023
It continued a summer winning streak that has seen the third-year Husky win the 1,500-meter title for Ireland at the European Team Championships, and win the 1,500m and 800m at the Irish U23 Championships.
The win also came one day after recent Husky grad Brian Fay, debuting as a pro for Nike, broke the Irish National Record in the 5,000-meters at a meet in Belgium, running 13:01.40, which made him second in collegiate history on the all-dates 5k list, which extends through the summer of athletes’ senior seasons.
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