Limerick's Sarah Lavin and Irish 4x400m relay team finish fifth in the world
CONSISTENCY: Ireland's Sarah Lavin during the 60m hurdles final at the World Indoor Athletics Championships. Picture: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
In a championship that began in disastrous fashion for the Irish, this was a day of redemption. For Sharlene Mawdsley, it was a chance to right what most athletics anoraks perceived as a wrong – the Newport sprinter channelling the frustration of Friday night’s disqualification from the individual 400m and producing two magnificent runs to help Ireland to fifth place in the women’s 4x400m relay.
For Sarah Lavin, it was another world final to her decorated CV, her fifth-place finish in the 60m hurdles her best ever result at global level, and an improvement on seventh at the last edition in Belgrade.
Three times across the day, she ran as fast or faster than she’d ever run before, clocking 7.90 to win the heat, 7.90 to finish second in her semi-final, and 7.91 to finish fifth in the final. A medal remains tantalisingly out of reach, with bronze won here in 7.79 and gold in a world record of 7.65 by Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas.
Lavin could do no more.
“I have to be really appreciative to put together those races as well as I did today,” she said. “It’s incredible consistency. But I do feel there’s a little bit extra in me that I didn’t get out. The crazy thing is I could have run 7.83 today, a national record, and it wouldn’t get a medal – that was the fastest race ever. All in all, though, it was a good day.
“It’s my second world indoor final, so it’s about patience, which is bloody hard to have as a sprinter.”Â
For all the Irish, amid their pride, there was a lingering sense what might have been. Had the relay had the services of Rhasidat Adeleke, who bypassed these championships, they would undoubtedly have won a medal, something Ireland hasn’t achieved at World Indoors since Derval O’Rourke’s gold in 2006.
Their time of 3:28.92 brought them home just 1.69 seconds behind bronze medallists Britain, and just under four seconds behind the Dutch gold medallists (3:25.07).
After a superb opening leg by Phil Healy of 52.05, Ireland were in third, ahead of USA, and Sophie Becker improved on her run in the heats with a split of 52.74 to keep them in contention. They lost contact on the third leg, the fatigue of the earlier heats showing as Roisin Harrison clocked 53.66, but once again Sharlene Mawdsley produced heroics on the final leg, splitting a blazing 50.47 to bring Ireland home not far behind the medallists.
“Fifth is absolutely super for this team,” said Healy. “We came out here, it was all to play for and the girls performed phenomenal. We belong in these major finals now and to go so close to the national record and perform like that is absolutely super.” Earlier in the day, Mawdsley – who on Friday was controversially disqualified after the semi-finals for obstruction – clocked a blazing anchor split of 50.48 to help Ireland into the final with a national record – her leg the fastest overall.
“I had my redemption today and I’m walking away as a world finalist – I couldn’t ask for more than that,” she said. “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.”Â
Elsewhere, Belgium raised the roof in a spectacular finale to the men’s 4x400m, with individual champion Alexander Doom hitting the front in the dying strides ahead of the US team, which included 60m silver medallist Noah Lyles who clocked a swift 45.68 leg.
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