Streimikyte fifth in gruelling 1500m at World Para Athletics Championships
Ireland's Greta Streimikyte finished fifth in a gruelling T13 1500m that took place under the full glare of the Dubai sun at the World Para Athletics Championships.
It was anticipated to be a tactical race but Moroccan athlete Fatima El Idrissi surprised the field when she pushed the pace in the second lap and opened a gap that none of the other athletes could make up.
Streimikyte, who had looked comfortable in fourth position until El Idrissi’s break, was among those who tried to cut into the Moroccan’s lead but with the energy sapped from her legs, she ultimately fell adrift to finish fifth in a time of 4:48:75.
A disappointed Streimikyte refused to blame the Dubai heat for her finish.
"When you are out there you don’t really think about it and I did train a lot during the same period - I tried to adapt as best as I can during the time that I was here. I can’t blame the heat because, at the end of the day, we were all in the same boat," she said.
Tomorrow will mark the final day of competition with a welcome return for Michael McKillop in the T38 1500m final. The world champion has been out of competition since he won this same event back in 2017 where he suffered the injury that has seen him miss the two intervening years. McKillop will be joined in that race by David Leavy, who will be competing at his first World Championships.
Mary Fitzgerald will also be making her worlds debut when she becomes the final Irish athlete to enter the competition to compete in the F40 Shot Put.
Michael McKillop and David Leavy, Men’s 1500m T38 Final (3:41pm Irish time)
Mary Fitzgerald, Women’s F40 Shot Put (4:28pm Irish time)
