SARAH LAVIN A WORLD INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP FINALIST
Sarah Lavin from Emerald AC has become the first Irish athlete in 12 years to make it to the World Indoor Championship finals.
After a near perfect race execution in her heat performance early this morning the sprint hurdler secured a third-place finish in 8.03 to automatically qualify for the semi-finals.
Returning to lane 8 for the semi-finals, Lavin produced an impeccable performance, breaking the 8 second barrier with a new 7.97 PB, securing her place as one of the few Irish people to make it to a World Indoor Championship final. She is the first since David Gillick who took to the 400m finals and secured a fifth-place finish in Doha 2010.
In a sharp hour turn around for the final Lavin took to lane 7 against the most talent hurdlers in the world, such as the French Cyréna Samba-Mayela, the now World Indoor 60m Hurdle Champion, and Devynne Charlton from the Bahamas. In her third race of the day Lavin crossed the Championship final line 7th with a time of 8:09, coming off the track Lavin said, “I want a major medal and for that to happen you have to be in a global final first. It’s my first global final as a senior athlete, I’m proud.”
Israel Olatunde (UCD AC) made his World Indoor Championship debut at the Men’s 60m. The 19-year-old was up against Olympians such as Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala , Mario Burke from the Bahama’s, and Jamica’s Nigel Ellis, each of whom progressed to the semi-finals from the same heat as Olatunde.
A fourth-place finish and a time of 6.66 was shy of a semi-final place for the young sprinter but the 19-year-old was the 21st fastest sprinter in the heats at this year's World Indoor Championships.
Olatunde put this season’s indoor success down to “the hard work and all the support I’ve received from my family, my training partners, coaches and everyone really around me.”
Twice Indoor Silver Medallist Ajee Johnson from the USA featured alongside Siofra Cleirigh Buttner in the Women’s 800m second heat. Throughout the initial stages, Buttner kept in with the group, but heading into the final leg of the race, with breaks for positions such as Spain’s Lorena Martin progression to the front, Buttner drifted from the group to finish fifth with a time of 2:06.22.
Luke McCann (UCD AC) and Andrew Coscoran (Star of the Sea AC) both featured in the men’s 1500m with two of three heats having Irish representation.
In heat 1 McCann took to the track alongside athletes such as World Record Holder, Norwegian Jackob Ingebrigtsen and World Cross Country Championship gold medallist Ethiopian Teddese Lemi. It was a heat of high calibre and experienced athletes, talent of which would be seen in previous Championship semi-finals. After a tactical performance, it was not enough for young McCann to secure a semi-final place as he finished in fifth position with a time of 3:44.03.
In Heat 3 Andrew Coscoran came up against Olympians Abel Kipsang Bele from Kenya and Oliver Hoare from Australia. Another heat of high calibre athletes battling it out for tough semi-final qualifications. After the initial stages, the battle for position pushed Coscoran on the outside for a majority of the race before finishing fifth with a time of 3:40.53. Coming off the track Coscoran expressed that he felt, “tactically it went poor, but the body feels okay.”
As we head into the final day of this year's World Indoor Championship finals all eyes will be on our Men and Women’s Relay Teams:
10:20am 4x4000m Team Ireland Men’s Relay in Running Order
Cillin Greene (Galway City Harriers AC), Cathal Crosbie (Ennis Track AC), Brian Gregan (Clonliffe Harriers AC), Chris O’Donnell (Galway City Harriers AC).
10:55am 4x400m Team Ireland Women’s Relay in Running Order
Sophie Becker (Raheny Shamrock AC), Roisin Harrison (Emerald AC), Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport AC), Phil Healy (Bandon AC).
Link to Live Stream
Link to Timetable & Results