Athletics: Ciara Mageean, Irish gold medalist at the European Championships in Rome, dies at the age of 34

Mourning in the world of athletics. Ciara Mageean, the Irish 1500m gold medalist at the European Championships in Rome, has died at the age of just 34. "At 6.30 this morning, Ciara lost her battle against cancer, surrounded by all her loved ones", the announcement appeared on the social profiles of the athlete, who had made her illness known in July 2025 and had described her new life in the book "My Greatest Race".

At the European Championships in the Capital, Mageean achieved the greatest success of his career, completing the collection of continental medals after the bronzes in Amsterdam 2016 and Glasgow 2019, and the silver in Munich in 2022. He took part in the Pietro Mennea Golden Gala four times, always in the 1500 metres, in 2017 in Rome, in 2021 in Florence, in 2022 at the Olimpico and in 2023 again in Florence, finishing in fourth place in the historic world record race of Kenyan Faith Kipyegon. Her bond with Italy had already begun in 2009 when she revealed herself as a very young girl with the silver medal at the U18 World Championships in Bressanone in the 800. Struck by the news, the president of Fidal sent condolences to Ciara Mageean's family and to the Irish Athletics Federation.