For Ciara Mageean, the crushing disappointment of missing the Paris 2024 Olympic Games due to injury is still very fresh.
Mageean withdrew from the 1,500m on the eve of her heat in France in August due to “chronic painful Achilles problems”.
But the Team Ireland athlete is already looking toward the future with optimism as she continues her recovery from surgery and focuses on new goals, including potentially participating in the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“I have a long road to recovery,” Mageean told BBC Sport NI.
“Four years is a long time. I’m 32. I’ll be 36 at the next Olympics but all I can say is that I’m very motivated for it. I’m determined to be there.
“I don’t know what the path ahead will be, but I will give absolutely everything to follow this line, fit and healthy, and to finally be able to organize an Olympic Games that I can leave proud of.”
“Dealing with an ankle problem for years”
Mageean’s forced withdrawal is the latest chapter in a series of Olympic heartbreaks for the athlete from the Northern Ireland town of Portaferry.
The County Down woman narrowly missed out on a place in the final of her event in 2016 and a calf injury a week before her heat at the delayed Tokyo Games saw her eliminated at the first request.
This year she won the 1,500m at the European Championships in Rome in June, but struggled to get into shape at Diamond League events in Monaco and Paris in the build-up to the Games.
“I’ve had an ankle problem for years, it’s not new to me,” Mageean explained.
“For eight years I have suffered from pain in my right ankle that ranges from mild discomfort when going about my daily activities to the inability to physically run and sit on stairs contemplating if I can continue, if I have to retire from sport.
“It was always about micro-management around my ankle and the summer went well, the European Championships were obviously phenomenal and I was delighted to finally get that gold medal.”
Preparations for the Olympics then progressed, until persistent ankle pain after a training session two weeks before the Games forced him to make the difficult decision to withdraw from Paris 2024.
“I had two injections in the ankle, in different aspects to see if we could alleviate the pain and unfortunately this was not the case, which forced me to make the decision the day before the start of my third Olympic Games we should withdraw.
“It was absolutely heartbreaking and devastating to have to make this decision. The fact that I didn’t know I would be able to pass the race was the main factor. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to do it justice on my own. over there. “
“I couldn’t bring myself to watch 1,500m”
Mageean said she was unable to watch the women’s Olympic 1,500m races.
“I didn’t watch those races because I couldn’t bring myself to and I still haven’t watched them. Maybe one day I’ll be able to sit down and watch them, but it won’t be anytime soon. I’m on the road to recovery and this cycle of grief continues.
“You have to roll with the punches and I had some great moments. The European Championships were one of them. I’m very determined that it won’t be my last Olympic Games memory, so it gave me more fire in my belly for another four year cycle.
Mageean had surgery 10 weeks ago, is now able to walk again and has moved to Northern Ireland for the first time since starting university at 19.
“I’m in a building phase. Rehabilitation is going well. I won’t be able to run for a while, the surgeon suggests, maybe six months after the operation.
“Some people have said they think I will retire after the Games, but that is not in my thoughts, nor in my psyche. I want to leave this sport on my terms.
“The World Championships will be quite late in the season next year and I feel like I might get in shape to go there and race. Maybe I won’t be in the shape of my life being given that I will have had surgery just a year before but it’s a good goal to achieve by going through this process.”