Rose-Anne Galligan said she's desperate to make an impact at the Rio Olympics after booking her place at next month's World Indoor Championships with an impressive 4:11.07 at Wednesday night's AIT International Grand Prix in Athlone.
Kenyan Nancy Chepkwemoi took victory in the 1500m in 4:08.46 but Galligan's third-placed finish caught the eye, and she's confident there's a lot more in the tank.
“I’ve just come back from altitude training and I had a couple of races at altitude," Galligan told RTÉ Sport.
“My coach said from that I could run 4:12.00. I thought it was closer to 4:13.00 so I was pleasantly surprised it was 4:11.00. I’m really pleased with that.
“I’ve had two horrible years. I had an injury for almost a year and then got ill last summer so to run 4:11.00, it felt easy, I felt comfortable.
I forgot my pink hair bow, I thought the world was going to end.. Turns out I can run fast without it! #superstition pic.twitter.com/Hn756R9U1u
— Rose-Anne Galligan (@RAG800m) February 18, 2016
"It’s exciting for the summer ahead. You need to come to these races where you’ve a plan and you don't care who is in the race. I got some good scalps there.
“I’ve done every championship there is except the Olympics so touch wood I can stay injury free and get on the plane to Rio. I don’t want to just go there and be happy I'm at the Olympics – I want to do something when I get there.”
Brian Gregan took 400m second in 47.62 behind a blistering Czech Pavel Maslak, who scorched home in 46.07.
World pole vault champion Shawn Barber from Canada won a brilliant duel with Sam Kendricks by clearing 5m 77cm against 5m 71cm for the American.
"Everything in my season is leading up to the Olympics," Barber said afterwards. "A lot of people are looking at me to compete very well. That pressure can be very good. It can drive you to do new things.
"A crowd like this drives you to do things you might not be able to do."
Dawit Wolde of Ethiopia ran away from the field to clock 3 minutes 54 .02 seconds and set a fastest time in an indoor mile on Irish soil, while World silver medallist Melissa Bishop set a Canadian in the women's 800m of 2:00.60.
