Recent events led to the discovery of an antique snapshot featuring Eamonn Coghlan and a younger, slighlty heavier version of myself going for a run around Belfield’s old track. The picture just appeared on my phone’s timeline feature out of the blue, a true relic from yesteryears.
My father had gifted me the t-shirt I was wearing in the photograph, adorned with a logo from the inaugural World Indoor Athletics Championships that had taken place in Downtown Indianapolis’ Hoosier Dome in March 1987. This fact places the timeframe of the photo a few months after that event, at the beginning of summer.
At the time Avia, a sponsor at the time, facilitated a photoshoot, and quite graciously Coghlan allowed me to accompany him on a series of seventy-second dashes around the track. While only 16 compared to Coghlan’s 34, I will forever remember the short but intensive training I received.
In a walk down memory lane, the picture was sent to me a while back. It’s amusing wondering whether Coghlan recognised my t-shirt’s logo, given his own participation at that particular World Indoor Championships.
A small yet triumphant Irish athletics team attended those Championships. The team consisted of two pairs, with Coghlan and Marcus O’Sullivan in the 1,500m, and Frank O’Mara and Paul Donovan in the 3,000m. They took home two gold and one silver medal, leaving a lingering query about how things could have panned out differently.
Recently, the Irish team of ten who took part in Glasgow’s World Indoor Championships has rekindled that question. With two decent fifth-place spots, a national record, and Sharlene Mawdsley’s deemed harsh disqualification after qualifying for the 400m final, there was quite a distance between the team and a medal.
However, the recurring question about possible different outcomes soothes us, giving us the hope of future opportunities, as if life is an endless loop. Yet, in reality, that isn’t always the case.
Coghlan, a widely recognised figure in field sports by March 1987, had earned the nickname, The Chairman of the Boards. Following a successful career at Villanova University, he had secured victory in 52 indoor track events, either mile or 1,500m races. Coghlan’s impressive record, which included a seventh Wanamaker Mile win weeks before Indianapolis, positioned him as a strong contender for the gold. However, during his Friday morning heat, Coghlan stumbled onto the track after apparently being clipped by the tall German athlete, Dieter Baumann.
Having recovered and regained his position in third place, Coghlan unexpectedly eased up, allowing Baumann and the Canadian runner David Campbell to overtake. This resulted in Coghlan securing fifth place – just outside the qualifying spot for the final. Although his initial appeal to the track judge was successful, the IAAF jury went on to overturn the decision, ruling Coghlan out of the competition. Consequently, his potential performance against O’Sullivan, the eventual gold medallist, remains unknown.
O’Mara and Donovan triumphed in the 3,000m, earning gold and silver respectively the day after Coghlan’s dismissal. The team continued to succeed, with O’Sullivan defending his title twice (in 1989 and 1993), and O’Mara securing a second World Indoor gold in 1991.
Injury, among other things, prevented Coghlan from competing for another World Indoor title. Yet, not all chances for success are guaranteed to reappear in any sport, a sentiment resonated by Sarah Lavin following her recent experience in Glasgow. Her potential victory in Glasgow was impacted by the race being recorded as the quickest in women’s indoor sprint hurdle history, due to Devynne Charlton’s world-record 7.65 seconds race win.
Having twice achieved a personal best time of 7.90 seconds in the earlier trials and semi-finals, Lavin fell marginally short of this record in the final, securing fifth place with a time of 7.91 seconds. Nevertheless, her ongoing potential hints at her readiness for the forthcoming European Championships to be held in Rome in June and subsequently, the Paris Olympics in July.
Characterised by relentless optimism and a complete absence of bleak moments, Lavin’s choice to take part in these hurdle races seems to mirror the adversities she has faced in real life. These include the grievous passing of her former boyfriend, Waterford rally driver Craig Breen, due to injuries incurred during a trial run in Croatia last April.
This week, Lavin spent some downtime away from her rigorous training schedule. She utilised this opportunity to visit her previous primary school located close to Lisnagry in Limerick. This was part of the Dare to Believe programme carried out by the Olympic Federation of Ireland.
Reflecting on her journey, Lavin said, “Although my participation in the World final two years ago was unexpected and my time was 8.07 seconds, things are different now. I’ve clocked consistent times of 7.90, 7.90, .91 twice, .92, .93.”
She believes that maintaining consistent times generally precedes a time drop, something she hasn’t managed to achieve yet. However, she understands why and perceives this as a valuable lesson in preparation for the outdoor season. Lavin believes that a time of 12.49 seconds would probably be needed to reach the Olympic final.
Last summer, Lavin established herself as the fastest woman in Ireland, excelling in both the 100m flat and 100m hurdle events. She lowered the 100m flat time to 11.27 seconds and broke Derval O’Rourke’s 13-year old Irish record in the 100m hurdles at the World Championships in Budapest, clocking an impressive 12.62 seconds.
Lavin, who will celebrate her 30th birthday in May, is confident that her golden opportunity will present itself once more.
Between 2014 and 2021, Lavin didn’t participate in a major championship, bar her one entry when she was 19 in 2014. However, she does not undervalue her journey. Indeed, her desire for more success fuels her athletic ambition. Although patience isn’t typically a virtue of sprinters, in Lavin’s situation, she holds a profound conviction her moment for victory will return.