Louise Shanahan Sets Sub 2 Minute Irish 800m Record - May 14th 2022
1:59.42 Irish 800m Record for Louise Shanahan
Irish Milers Club Meet, Belfast
Saturday May 14th 2022
Louise Shanahan, Leevale AC, set a new Irish Women's 800m record of 1:59.42, becoming only the second Irish woman to go sub 2 minutes for the two lap event. In doing so she catapulted herself from 11th place to first in the Irish All-Time standings. In a storming head-to-head with Ciara Mageean, the record holder, Louise produced the 'gutsier' finish to surpass the Co. Down girl, who finished in 1:59.82
Irish Women's 800m Standings before today's race
Along with the Record, Louise's time is also inside the qualification standards for both the World Championships, which will be held in Eugene, Oregon, USA, in July, and the European Championships, which will be held in Munich, Germany, in August
Women's 800m, Irish Milers Club Meet, Belfast, Saturday May 14th 2022
Video: Cathal Dennehy
SHANAHAN STORMS TO NEW IRISH 800M RECORD
Louise Shanahan (Leevale AC) has produced the run of her life to secure a new Irish 800m record of 1:59:42 at the Irish Milers Club meeting in Belfast today (May 14th)
The Leevale star went head-to-head with fellow Tokyo Olympian Ciara Mageean at the Belfast meet, eventually coming out on top to break the record previously held by Mageean (1:59:69). The record breaking performance also secured the qualification standards for the World Championships in Oregon, as well as the European Championships in Munich which both take place later this summer
Shanahan raced tactically from the gun, staying in touching distance of Mageean before unleashing her final challenge down the home straight. Mageean fought back and ultimately crossed in a superb season opener of 1:59:82
Irish Independent Reprt by Cathal Dennehy
Louise Shanahan produced a magnificent performance at the Irish Milers Club meeting in Belfast on Saturday to break the Irish 800m record, the Tokyo Olympian clocking 1:59.42 to out-kick previous record holder Ciara Mageean
“This is out of my wildest dreams, I can’t believe it,” said Shanahan, whose previous best was the 2:01.44 she ran in Belfast last year.
“I felt really good today and loved every minute of the warm-up. It was perfect conditions and Ciara was the perfect wind-block through the entire race.”
Shanahan ran behind Mageean – who held the Irish record at 1:59.69 – through the first 750 metres before fighting past her fellow Olympian the run to the line, with Mageean clocking 1:59.82 in second in her season debut
They are now the only two Irishwomen in history to have broken two minutes for 800m
“I saw 1:29 going through 600 and I felt really good,” said Shanahan. “It’s a two-second PB and on Tuesday I was considering not racing, my coach was trying to convince me I was in shape. The goal this year was to break 2:01, so to smash that in my first race is amazing.”
Shanahan’s time qualifies her for both the World Championships in Eugene in July and the Europeans in Munich in August
