Ireland's Greta Streimikyte finished fifth in the T13 1500m final at the World Para Athletics Championships on Thursday.
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 second lap and opened a gap that none of the other athletes could make up.
24-year-old Streimikyte, who had looked comfortable in fourth 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, finishing in a time of 4:48:75.
"I'm disappointed," the 2018 European gold medallist said afterwards.
"That's not what I expected. There's nothing I can do now, just be sad for a bit."
The race was run under the full glare of Dubai sun but Streimikyte was unwilling the make excuses.
When you are out there you don’t really think about it. 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 (3:41pm Irish Time).
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.
Ireland has won two medals at the championships. Niamh McCarthy claimed bronze in the F41 discus on Tuesday and Jason Smyth gold in the T13 100m on Wednesday.
Photo by Luc Percival/Sportsfile
