Sarah Healy sprints to Diamond League victory in Rome

Ireland's Sarah Healy reacts after winning the women's 1500m at the Diamond League meeting in Rome. Pic: TIZIANA FABI/AFP via Getty Images)

Sarah Healy called on all her speed and racing guile to claim the first Diamond League win of her career in Rome on Friday night, the Dubliner kicking to victory over 1500m at the Stadio Olimpico in 3:59.17.

In a race that set off fast, then slowed after halfway, the athletes bunched together on the penultimate lap, with Healy losing a couple of metres after being barged as the field passed the bell with a lap to run. Nonetheless, she soon coasted back into contention on the back straight and then had to utilise all her gears up the home straight, powering to the front in the last 40 metres to edge Australian duo Sarah Billings (3:59.24) and Abbey Caldwell (3:59.32).

“I’m obviously really happy to come away with the win,” said Healy. “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.

“I know my shape is good, I ran a big 3K 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, who recently finished third over 3000m at the Rabat Diamond League, will race next over 1500m at the Paris Diamond League on 20 June. “I’m having a lot of fun, which is the main thing,” she said. “And it’s probably why I’m running so well.” 

Earlier in the night, Cathal Doyle clocked a big personal best of 3:32.15 in the men’s 1500m. Doyle came home 14th in a loaded race, which was won by France’s Azeddine Habz in 3:29.72, the Dubliner smashing his previous best of 3:33.32 and going under the automatic standard for the World Championships of 3:33.00. It makes him the eighth Irish individual athlete to qualify for Tokyo. It was also the second fastest run in history by an Irishman, behind only Andrew Coscoran’s national record of 3:30.42.

“Absolutely delighted,” said Doyle. “I kind of died the last 100 or so, I was trying to come through a bit but it’s my first ever standard knocked out. I can’t really complain. It’s a one-second PB so I have to take that.” Doyle said he’s training “with September in mind” and will next race in Turku, Finland on 17 June before going back into a short block of training.

Meanwhile, Mark English will return to action on Monday at the FBK Games in Hengelo, the Netherlands, the Donegal man hoping to continue his fine start to the season after recently breaking the Irish 800m record. Rhasidat Adeleke will be in Diamond League action in Oslo next Thursday and again in Stockholm three days later, taking on world-class fields at both events over 400m – her first races of 2025 at her specialist distance.