Greta Streimikyte finished in 5th place in a gruelling T13 1500m that took place under the full glare of the Dubai sun at 11:00am.
It was anticipated to be a tactical race but Moroccan athlete, Fatima El Idrissi, surprised the field when she pushed the pace of the race in the 2nd lap and opened a gap that none of the other athletes could make up.
Greta, who had looked comfortable in 4th position until El Idrissi’s break, was amongst those who tried to cut into the Moroccan’s lead but with the energy sapped from her legs she ultimately fell adrift and finished in 5th place in a time of 4:48:75.
Greta was ultimately disappointed with how the race went for her but refused to blame the Dubai heat ‘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.’
Tomorrow will mark the final day of competition at the World Para Athletics Championships and there will be 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 at the World Championships in London 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 debut at the World championship when she is the final Irish athlete to enter the competition at 4:28pm Irish Time when she competes in the F40 Shot Put.
World Para Athletics Championships, Dubai Day 8 Schedule
Greta Streimikyte, Women’s 1500m T13 Final, 11:05am (7:05am Irish Time)
World Para Athletics Championships, Dubai Day 9 Schedule
Mary Fitzgerald, Women’s F40 Shot Put, 7:28pm (4:28pm Irish Time)
Michael McKillop & David Leavy, Men’s 1500m T38 Final 7:31pm (3:41pm Irish Time)
Team Ireland Homecoming
Team Ireland will return to Dublin on Saturday, October 16th on Emirates Air flight no. 163, the flight is due to touch down at 6:55pm at Dublin Airport Terminal 2.
