Sarah Healy has had quiet an incredible week.
The 22-year-old Dubliner has broke not one but two Irish senior indoor records in the past seven days, taking significant chunks off both marks.
Last night at the World Indoor Tour Gold meet in Liéven, France, Healy smashed the 1500m record as she ran a time of 4.03.83 to finish fifth amongst a world-class field.
For context, 4.03.83 is close to three seconds faster than the previous record of 4.06.42 that Ciara Mageean had set in January 2020, over four years ago now.
It would be unfair to compare both athletes as Mageean has progressed massively in recent years outdoors and has actually only had one race over the distance indoors since. That came in January 2021 just one week after the sudden passing of her former coach Jerry Kiernan.
It does however indicate that Healy is in incredible shape as she looks forward to a massive year.
Healy now sits 26th on the European Indoor All-Time List for the distance and encouragingly there is hope that she can go even faster in the not too distant future.
Writing on X (formelly known as Twitter) after the race last night in response to RTÉ's Greg Allen, her coach and former World and European medallist over 800m, Jenny Meadows said:
"We’re actually disappointed with that as she is in far better shape...hopefully she can show it soon."
We’re actually disappointed with that as she is in far better shape 🙈 (said very lightly as we aren’t thinking getting a NR is a disaster 😂). Hopefully she can show it soon
— Jenny Meadows (@JennyMeadows800) February 10, 2024
Last Saturday and the World Indoor Tour Silver meet in Metz, Healy obliterated the Irish senior indoor 3000m record.
That record had been held by Sligo's Mary Cullen since 2009 but Healy's performance saw her take an astonishing seven seconds off it as she finished second in her race in 8:36.06.
🚨NATIONAL RECORD ALERT🚨
Sarah Healy has just smashed the Irish 3,000m indoor record with a 8:36.06 at the Metz Moselle Athlélor World Indoor Tour Meet🤩
The time betters Mary Cullen's 2009 NR by SEVEN SECONDS🤯
Full result: https://t.co/NeVuAcrFIu
*Subject to ratification pic.twitter.com/lbibObp2tx— Athletics Ireland (@irishathletics) February 3, 2024
Sarah Healy taking massive steps in the right direction
It hasn't been a smooth few years for the former UCD student but it is clear now that her hard work is coming to fruition.
She failed to advance out of the heats at the Olympic Games, World Indoors, World Outdoors and European Championships before eventually taking a massive leap forward last summer in Budapest.
In the Hungarian capital she made the 1500m semi-final and then ran a time (3.59.68) which would've been good enough to make the final of every World Championships prior to that. Unfortunately she narrowly missed out on progressing.
Her move to Wigan in the UK where she is coached by the aforementioned Meadows and her husband Trevor Painter seems to have paid dividends but credit is also due to her former coach Eoghan Marnell who nurtured her as an athlete in her younger years.
And a great moment for coach Eoghan Marnell and Sarah Healy pic.twitter.com/rWJAEYRMhA
— Athletics Ireland (@irishathletics) July 6, 2018
2024 is a massive year for athletics with a World Indoor Championships, European Outdoor Championships and the Olympic Games all taking place.
Whether Healy will take her place on the start line at the World Indoors in Glasgow next month remains to be seen. She has qualified in both the 1500m and 3000m.
Regardless of that she will no doubt be hoping to make a massive impression in Rome and Paris during the summer.
Certainly one to watch closely!
SEE ALSO: Nick Griggs Looks Like He Belongs In First Race As 'Somewhat Senior Athlete'
