Sarah Lavin off to flier with PB at World Indoors

“I knew that was within my bank but to know you’re quicker than you’ve ever been before on the day of the World Championships is nice,” said Lavin. 

“When I got my heat draw, I knew I should win it but it’s one thing knowing what you should be capable of doing and doing it. I was very within myself, my concentration was really good, I need to be a bit quicker between (hurdle) one or two. I patted myself on the back a little after a reasonable start but I’m going to have to pull one from the depths later on. The first step is to make that final.” 

Her semi-final is at 7.40pm tonight, where Lavin will hope to emulate her achievement at the last World Indoors and advance to a final.

“I’ve really worked hard on my start, despite what my races have looked like, and we really have tried to home in on it,” she said. “I know if I can do that to what I’m capable of doing in training, when there’s no pressure, so it’s about doing this now under pressure. It’s a big ask – a sprint world final is a massive, massive ask. You’re looking at the names out there, but I’m amongst them and they’ll fear me just as much as I fear them.” 

In the heats of the women’s 4x400m, Phil Healy and Sharlene Mawdsley in particular produced outstanding runs, with Healy leading the team off in front with a 51.93-second split, the quickest of any first-leg runner from either heat. She handed over to Sophie Becker, who split 53.05 to keep Ireland in contention, with Roisin Harrison clocking 52.99 on the third leg to hand over to Mawdsley in fourth.

The Newport sprinter had several metres to make up on her three rivals, but Mawdsley did it sensibly, slowly, pulling herself back to the field and holding the inside line throughout, bringing Ireland home at close range in fourth in a huge national record of 3:28.45, which qualified them for the final on time. The Netherlands took victory, anchored by individual champion Femke Bol, in 3:27.70.

3 March 2024; Maayke Tjin-A-Lim of Netherlands, left, Sarah Lavin of Ireland and Yanni Wu of China, right, compete in their heat of the Women's 60m hurdles during day three of the World Indoor Athletics Championships 2024 at Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Mawdsley’s split of 50.48 was the fastest on any athlete from either heat. “I had my redemption today and I’m walking away this evening as a world finalist – I couldn’t ask for more than that,” said Mawdsley. “I thought, just go for it – I’m getting a lot braver.” How did she spend the weekend following the crushing disappointment of Friday night, when she was disqualified for obstructing an Austrian athlete?

“I had my cry, a few cries, and yesterday I had relay training with the girls, they made me forget about it and they were all as hungry as I was, as disappointed as I was,” she said. “I had the backing of the whole country.” Healy was equally overjoyed, having sacrificed an invite for the individual 400m here to save herself for the relay. The Bandon AC athlete was below her best for much of the past two years as she dealt with Hashimoto’s disease, but having got a handle on that in recent months, she produced as good a performance as she ever has in an Irish vest.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Healy. “I’m not used to running the first leg, but I ran it like an individual 400m and went out fighting for everything I could, I wanted to get there first and hand over to Sophie in the best position. Each of the girls went out there and gave it their all. Especially after Sharlene the last day, we had a lot to give back and we wanted Sharlene to leave as a world finalist.” 

The final takes place at 8.30pm tonight. “Everything is to play for,” said Healy. “We’ll go out there fighting.”