Despite the heavy June rainfall, Sarah Lavin’s exceptional skills of sprint hurdling were the highlight of the first day of National Track and Field Championships at the Morton Stadium, Santry. Despite the adverse conditions, the athlete from Limerick managed to register the quickest time ever in the history of the event.
The track turned into what resembled a shallow pool in some areas, creating a daunting environment for sprint hurdling. However, Lavin seemed unfazed during the 10-woman final, zipping past to achieve a win in 12.79 seconds.
In doing so, she broke the championship record of 12.95 seconds set by Derval O’Rourke 19 years ago. Lavin was just .02 seconds off from the qualifying time for the Paris Olympics, a time she has met repeatedly.
Reacting to her performance, Lavin acknowledged that being close to the Olympic standard in such conditions was a positive sign. She emphasised the importance of staying calm amidst minor delays before the race.
This win adds to Lavin’s tally, making it her 16th national title in total, nine of which were outdoors. She also has six indoor titles for the 60m hurdles and triumphed in the 100m flat last year.
Lavin is set to defend her 100m title on Sunday, with Rhasidat Adeleke as her significant competition. Lavin improved the Irish 100m record to 11.27 last year, and Adeleke’s best of 11.31 was achieved in 2021. Adeleke also managed a wind-assisted 10.84 in Texas in April. If conditions permit, the 11-second threshold might be surpassed.
Molly Scott from Carlow also put on a commendable performance in the rain, securing second place in 13.64 in her first hurdles final in four years. Scott also hopes to compete in a sprint double.
The challenging conditions were further underscored in the men’s 110m hurdles contest. Adam Nolan was en route to what seemed like a certain win but faltered at the last hurdle, allowing veteran Ger O’Donnell to snag the victory with a time of 14.20.
Nolan, a 20-year-old from Carlow, slipped to victory in his first senior final with a time of 14.37, expressing his gratitude for the rainy conditions which helped him overcome his over-enthusiasm on the home stretch. He jokingly suggested a sunny weather might have made things trickier for him.
Sunlight had graced the last track final in which Brian Fay flourished, captivating the men’s 5,000m with a shocking 53-second final lap that increased the gap between him and the leading runner, Efrem Gidey; a veritable tour de force. Delighted by his victorious time of 13:43.61, the Raheny racer, already Paris-qualified, also accepted the first ever Tom O’Riordan Memorial Cup, awarded by Donore Harriers.
The championships were voluntarily missed by Ciara Mageean. Sharlene Mawdsley also needed to withdraw from the 200m heats due to a slight injury, and Andrew Coscoran had to pull out from the men’s 1,500m owing to a respiratory infection. Both athletes have prudently opted not to jeopardise their preparations for the Olympics.
Rainy conditions also didn’t deter Phil Healy who powered her way to a dominant win, clinching the 200m final in 23.42. The second place went to Alana Ryan of Sli Cualann, Wicklow, who clocked in at 24.25. “Even though it could’ve been a bit faster, I am happy with another national championship,” Healy reflected on her victory.
Sunday’s men’s 400m final is shaping up to be a memorable race as well, with a number of runners vying for a spot in the mixed-relay team for Paris. The first heat was ruled by Chris O’Donnell, who is seeking his sixth 400m title in seven years – his time was 47.97. The following heats, however, were won by the marginally faster Callum Baird, Cillin Greene and Jack Raftery with their respective times of 47.50, 47.47, and 47.32.
Sophie Becker was triumphant in her 400m heat, with an impressive time of 53.56 seconds, demonstrating complete control. However, her victory was not uncontested; her fellow 4x400m relay teammate, Lauren Cadden, who jointly secured a silver medal at the European Championships in Rome, also had a smooth victory in her heat, finishing in 53.63 seconds.
Sarah Healy, who held the 1,500m champion title from the previous year after a competitive match against Sophie O’Sullivan, switched to the 800m and came out victorious in her heat with a time of 2:04.28. Louise Shanahan also secured her position in the finals, winning her heat at 2:09.55.
Mark English, noted for breaking the Irish 800m record twice in a span of four days, setting it at 1:44.69, then 1:44.53, easily advanced through his 800m heat. The physician from Donegal seems invincible as he vies for another championship title.
O’Sullivan competed later in the 1,500m heats, securing a clear win from start to finish with a time of 4:26.21. Her time was the fastest among the qualifiers in a race conducted in potentially obstructive rainfall conditions.
Excitement also persists for the men’s 1,500m, as Cathal Doyle from Clonliffe Harriers, the reigning champion, smoothly passed his heat just like Luke McCann from UCD AC, who ended with a time of 3:56.03. Both are precariously within the qualifying quota for Paris, and the additional points from this competition could be crucial in maintaining their positions. Also showing great ambition was Darragh McElhinney, the fastest qualifier with a time of 3:53.45, indicating that the final could be intensely competitive.
Mark Smyth from Raheny accumulated his eighth national 200m victory, both indoor and outdoor, clocking a season’s best of 20.70 seconds. He convincingly defeated Robert McDonnell from Galway City Harriers, who secured the silver with 21.17 seconds.
In field events, Sarah Buggy continued her unbeatable run in the triple jump, securing another championship with a leap of 12.72m. Dave Cussen from Old Abbey AC provided an exciting high jump performance, achieving a 2.10m clearance in his first attempt to secure a gold medal.
Kate O’Connor, who is currently meeting the Paris qualifying standards for the Heptathlon, claimed victory in the javelin event with an impressive throw of 48.73. Following this, she went on to secure a silver medal in the shot, recording high throw of 13.87. However, the shot title was won by Ciara Sheehy who managed to throw the shot to a distance of 14.20m. In addition to this, Eric Favors claimed yet another shot title with a throw of 18.85m.
Also, in the women’s athletic events, Kate Veale earned her ninth title in the 5,000m walk. During the men’s 10km contest, Mullingar Harriers’ Oisín Lane bettered his personal record, clocking in at 40:25.99.