'I do have a bit of regret': Frustrating fourth for Sarah Healy in Euro 5000m final
When Sarah Healy's kick came in the 5000m final at the European Championships, it was too late. Pic: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
Her hands went straight onto her face. Sarah Healy knew instantly the opportunity had been squandered.
Fourth. A horribly frustrating fourth. A sickeningly avoidable fourth. This 5,000m fact-finding mission had not delivered the medal that was right there for her.
Even after all accommodations have been recorded and checked in at the front desk, such as Healy’s novice status over this distance and the fact that Tuesday’s European final was only her second time competing in the event, there is still no escaping the reality that a single and long moment of indecision had cost her an imminently winnable medal.
At the first real prospect of an Irish podium in Birmingham, tactical doubt had triumphed over the obvious talent Healy is clearly in possession of.
Under-performance and regret were again the main themes circling the 25-year-old Dubliner as she departed the track. Too often in her championship career has that been the case.
In such a pedestrianly slow final, won in 15:37.84 by defending champion Nadia Battocletti, the head needed to be moving at a pace the legs clearly were not.
Upstairs needed to be sharp and fearless. Healy didn’t tick either box in the defining moment.
Having squeezed inside the Italian favourite on the home straight of the penultimate lap, Healy was perfectly poised behind pace-pusher Maureen Koster.
But when Battocletti surged on the outside with 250m remaining, Healy found herself boxed on the rail and without a response. She remained without a response as more and more went past her on the final bend. From among the medal places to sixth.
When her kick eventually came, it was an age too late. Too many bodies occupied the stretch of track between Healy and the podium.
Overtaking Koster and Great Britain's Hannah Nuttall, she climbed back up to fourth. In front of her was Battocletti, Marta García of Spain, and another Italian, Micol Majori. The latter crossed three tenths of a second ahead of Healy's 15:40.95 for bronze.
“I did give it my best, but I do have a bit of regret,” Healy began.
“On the last lap, I just had a moment of doubt, and then I was playing catch-up in the last 150m. I was kind of coming, but I had too much work to do. And I mean it's easy to say that when you're off the track, but I feel like a bronze was kind of there.”
That moment of doubt should have been the moment she swung wide to get herself onto the slipstream of Battocletti. She wouldn’t have caught the back-to-back champion, but she’d have been on the correct line towards a medal conclusion. Essentially, what García did.
“100%, 100%. I just feel it tougher, honestly, in that last 300m. In my head, I think, ‘Oh, I can get some back’. You know, I'll go again and I'll get them. But I can't get everyone. You can't rely on everything falling into place in the home straight.
“But obviously I am quite inexperienced - very inexperienced - in this event. That kind of cost me a little bit as well,” Healy continued.
“I don't think I could have gone with [Battocletti]. She's obviously a class above, but all of a sudden, I was in 5th or 6th. And I got back to 4th, but had I just held on and come into the home straight in a medal position, when I'm running well I tend not to get passed in the home straight. If I'd gone in in 3rd, I think I would have held on.
“It's just so hard to even think about because the difference between bronze and 4th is huge. What can you do? It is a shame.”
Healy revisited her inexperience over 5,000m across her mixed zone debrief. She is still learning the distance. Her 14:48.88 posting from June was her maiden outing. It still brought her third fastest into this final.
The “gamble” of doubling up at these championships was taken because she knew, as did her coaches Jenny Meadows and Trevor Painter of the M11 Track Club, that a medal - her first senior outdoor medal - was absolutely achievable.
“You need to be in the top 5, top 6 in the last 800m. So, I kind of did everything right, honestly, until that last lap,” she remarked.
When Battocletti surged with four and a half laps to go, it stretched out the field to single file. Healy was third in the order.
A continuation of this pace injection would have suited her. Instead, the Italian stepped off and they concertinaed back into a bunch state.
“The girls who came second and third, they came from behind. I was so keen to cover all the moves, maybe they saved a bit of energy. I don't know. I'd have to watch it back. But I probably won't be able to watch it back.
“I find it hard in the 5k, and I said this in all my interviews, it's just like two laps to go is the kick almost. Whereas in my head, that feels a really long way out. And so, I'm there really doubting, ‘Can I make it?' And I feel like that's really what cost me over that last lap.”
The opportunity for redemption comes in Saturday’s 1,500m heats.
Elsewhere on Day 2, Bori Akinola and Israel Olatunde exited in the 100m semis. Akinola clocked 10.38 for fourth in his semi. Olatunde was seventh in his, in 10.49. It placed them 16th and 20th overall respectively. Jack Raftery’s 45.81 was sufficient only for seventh in his 400m semi, 21st overall.
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