By Patrick McCormack
Kerri Gallagher went into the IAAF World Championship and showed she could compete with the best 1500 meter runners in the world. The Belle Harbor native made the semifinals and finished in the top 24 at the Worlds in Beijing, China last weekend.
“It was incredible,” Gallagher said. “It was an honor to compete against the best women in the world.”
Gallagher, who runs for Oiselle and NYAC, finished seventh in her heat in the prelims, running a time of 4:06.34, good enough to advance from the field of 36 to the semi-finals.
“Knowing that championship racing is unpredictable, there wasn’t a specific plan going into the prelims,” she said. “My goal was to stay confident and patient and be in good position when it came time to finish.”
In the semis, Gallagher ran a 4:17.63 to finish eighth in her heat and 19th in the 24 runner field, missing the cutoff for the final.
Through she missed the final, Gallagher was happy she was able to take part in the world-class event for the first time.
“Although I came up short on getting through to the final, I was proud of the way I competed and look forward to using this experience moving forward,” she said.
Competing in the world championship was Gallagher’s first time running for Team USA, but she carried herself as if she had been there before.
“It can be overwhelming at times, but everyone has to run the same standard to get there and with the level of U.S. talent, I knew I had every right to be there,” Gallagher said.
The event was the culmination of a strong summer for Gallagher. In addition to making the semifinals at the Worlds, she finished third at the U.S. Championships. The experience she gained will help her as she tries to reach her goal of making the 2016 U.S. Olympic team that will compete in Rio de Janerio.
“It’s difficult to prepare for these types of races until you’ve experienced them,” Gallagher said. “This was a big step in my career and sets me up well to contend for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team. It won’t be easy, but I look forward to the year ahead.”
