Darragh McElhinney believes his encouraging performance at the World Athletics Championships hints at bigger and better days to come.
The Bantry AC athlete just missed out on qualifying for the men’s 5000m final after he finished tenth in his semi-final, with the top eight advancing.
He was just four-tenths of a second away from making the world final, with Jakob Ingebrigtsen finishing eighth in 13:42.15, and a fast-finishing Darragh just behind in 13:42.56. Still, the 24-year-old from Glengarriff walked away from the Worlds in Tokyo with his head held high, proving he belongs on the biggest stage.
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‘It stings to have been so close, just 0.2 or 0.3 of a second off the final, but I think I put a performance out there that I can be proud of,’ he said.
‘I tried to put myself amongst it and close well, and I did everything I could do, but I’m just a tiny bit away from that level right now. I’m very disappointed to have come so close. I dreamt of coming here and making the final. But overall, happy with my performance.’
He added, ‘I ran well, I’d be annoyed if I came here and crashed out, so I am proud of the way I performed and proud of the way I raced. On another day I could have had the extra 0.2 or 0.3 of a second down the home straight, and that’s all it was in the end.’
Ahead of the Worlds – and on these very pages – Darragh was very open and honest about his struggles in 2023 and 2024, but this year has seen an impressive return to form. With personal bests at 5000m (13:02.06), 3000m (7:35.16), 1500m (3:37.38), and one mile (3:51.99), he has made people sit up and take notice again.
‘I’m only getting going, especially after the last couple of years,’ Darragh said.
‘This year I found myself getting better month on month. Another couple of years of doing what I’m doing at the moment, and I’ll be flying it. I’m leaving this championship with more belief than ever. On another day I would have had a little bit more in the last 200 and won the heat.’
With the positives of this season to build on, Darragh's back in business.
