Ciara Mageean, the European 1,500-metre champion, has died at the age of 34 after a battle with bowel cancer

Northern Irish athlete Ciara Mageean, the 2024 European champion in the 1,500-metre event, died on Sunday at the age of 34 after an approximately 18-month battle with stage-four bowel cancer.

The announcement was made in a message posted on her social media accounts. “At 6.30 this morning, Ciara lost her fight against cancer, surrounded by her loved ones,” the message said. Her family described her as a beloved daughter, sister, wife and friend, as well as an inspiration to many people.

Mageean married Thomas Moran just one week before her death and posted images from the ceremony on social media. Recently, the athlete had written about the losses caused by the disease: “I grieve for the things I will never have.”

In addition to winning the European title in 2024, Ciara Mageean competed at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. She missed the Paris competition in 2024 because of an Achilles tendon injury.