Lavin gears up for Euros with two fastest times of her career
WITH a week to go until the European Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland, the outlook continues to appear bright for the 24-strong Irish brigade.
In Madrid last night, Sarah Lavin was the latest to add her name to those smashing personal bests, the 26-year-old Limerick athlete setting the two fastest times of her career a little over an hour apart in the 60m hurdles.
With live coverage on TG4, it was a golden opportunity to shine on the premier circuit in indoor athletics and Lavin didn’t disappoint, exploding from the blocks and clocking 8.14 to finish third in her semi-final, taking a decent chunk off her previous best of 8.18, which was set in Ostrava earlier this month.
In the final, few expected Lavin to feature towards the front, running as she was in the outside lane, but after the disqualification of Elvira Herman for a false start and two other athletes coming to grief over the final barrier, Lavin kept her composure brilliantly to take third in 8.13 behind Nadine Visser (7.81) and Teresa Errandonea (8.08).
Restored
Having won European U-20 silver in 2013, and lowered her 60m hurdles best to 8.25 in 2014, Lavin’s progress had stalled in the years that followed as she dealt with a succession of injuries, but with her health restored, nursed back to fitness under the guidance of Noelle Morrissey, she has roared back to form this indoor season and will next compete in Torun.
“This was the perfect preparation,” said Lavin. “To come away third in the final, I’m delighted. It was tricky with nobody either side of me, but I stayed in my own lane and focused.”
Nadia Power produced another impressive showing, clocking 2:01.55 to finish third in the 800m, the second fastest time of her career. Power had gone out hard and passed 400m in 58 seconds, chasing the Irish indoor record she lost to Síofra Cléirigh-Buttner on Sunday night, but the Dubliner was unable to match Ethiopia’s Habitam Alemu over the latter half.
“I felt it in the last 50 metres,” said Power. “I wanted to be really, really ambitious today, to go for it and see what I could do. It hit me at the end – but it was my second fastest ever, so I’m happy.”
Louise Shanahan came home fourth in the same race in 2:05.62, in what was her debut at this level, the Leevale athlete receiving a late call-up on Monday after her breakthrough run of 2:01.67 in Abbotstown on Sunday.
“Today wasn’t my best day and I found the third lap tough,” she said. “But this has been an amazing experience.”
Andrew Coscoran finished fifth in the men’s 1,500m in 3:39.61, a race won by Selemon Barega in 3:35.42, and he will be back in action at the same distance at next week’s European Indoors.
Leon Reid was below his best in the men’s 60m, clocking 6.74 to finish sixth in his semi-final three days after he clocked 6.68 at the elite micro-meet in Abbotstown.
“I guess I spent all my energy on the race just gone,” he said. “I was tired today.”
There was a stunning performance by Grant Holloway in the 60m hurdles, the US athlete breaking Colin Jackson’s 27-year world record of 7.30 by clocking 7.29.