Ó Lionáird shows form and pace with early season victory in Boston

ATHLETICS:WHEN CIARÁN Ó Lionáird predicted an exciting start to the season he could hardly have imagined this – a sensational mile victory at the Boston Indoor Games, running a personal best of 3:56.01, and beating a certain Mo Farah in the process.

Farah could hardly have imagined this either, as he actually tripped and fell on the first lap. The world 5,000 metres champion gradually reattached with the leaders, briefly moved into second place, but in the end couldn’t quite match the finishing speed of Ó Lionáird, and ended up fourth.

Whether Farah’s fall ultimately cost him the win is debatable; either way Ó Lionáird looked superb. Running his first race since finishing 10th at the World Championship 1,500m final in Daegu last summer, shortly after lowering his 1,500m best to 3:34.46, he displayed a considerable turn of speed on the last lap, and now looks a real contender for next month’s World Indoor Championships in Istanbul.

Ran in front of a packed Reggie Lewis Track Facility at Roxbury Community College – shown live on ESPN – the mile was the headline race, and didn’t disappoint. Farah’s fall started the drama, and after that it was the American Galen Rupp, who also trains with Farah and Ó Lionáird at the Nike Oregon Project, who commanded the lead, briefly pulling several metres clear.

Entering the final lap Ó Lionáird and the Canadian Taylor Milne chased Rupp down, with the Cork athlete finishing quickest of the lot.

“Any time I step out on the track with these guys it’s a learning experience,” said Ó Lionáird. “I’m so new to the game, and so unbelievably privileged to have such great training partners, in Rupp and Farah.

“It shows the character Mo has and the courage, to be able to get back up and do that, still finish strong. Funny thing is I fell yesterday, in the warm-up. It’s still a long way to the World Indoors, and even longer to the London Olympics, but it’s great to be racing and competing with such a great group. I really am a product of my environment.”

Milne took second in 3:56.40, Rupp was third in 3:57.10, and Farah still clocked a lifetime best of 3:57.92 in fourth. Ó Lionáird will return to his altitude training base at Albuquerque before racing again in two weeks, at the Tyson Invitational in Arkansas, before the World Indoors.

Around the same time in New York, John Coghlan was looking to build on his first sub-four clocking at the Collegiate Invitational, at the new Armory track. Coghlan was leading at the bell lap, but was caught for speed a little in the end, ended up a close fifth, clocking 4:03.93, with Henry Lelei from Texas AM taking the win in 4:01.49.

DCU team-mate Mark English was also competing, over 800m, and pulled off a typically cool win in 1:49.49 minutes, leading every step of the way.

Finally, just a little further away, Paul Robinson finished second in the 1,500m at the Briggs Track Classic in Hobart, Tasmania, running 3:43.96.