Sarah Lavin and Thomas Barr triumph in the Irish Championships at Santry.
At the Irish “National Track and Field Championships” in Santry, Sarah Lavin and Thomas Barr emerged as standout performers on the final day of competition. Lavin achieved three personal bests, securing the 100m gold in addition to her victory in the 100m hurdles on Saturday. Barr impressed with an excellent time of 49.85 in the men’s 400-metre hurdles final, securing his 11th Irish title.
In the women’s events, Sharlene Mawdsley continued her impressive season by comfortably winning the women’s 400m in a time of 51.94. Louise Shanahan secured her third consecutive national title in the women’s 800m with a time of 2:03.13. Sophie Healy triumphed in the highly anticipated rematch against Sophie O’Sullivan in the women’s 1500m, finishing with a time of 4:11.39.
The men’s 1500m race turned into a gripping battle between Nick Griggs and Cathal Doyle, with Doyle eventually retaining his crown in a time of 3:40.11. Christopher O’Donnell showcased a strong performance to win the men’s 400m.
Brian Fay dominated the stacked men’s 5,000m race, claiming the title in 13:39.21, while Ide Ni Dhomhnaill secured the women’s 5,000m gold. In the field events, pole vaulter Ellie McCartney emerged victorious with a winning clearance of 4.31m.
Several athletes achieved the ‘A’ standard for the upcoming World Championships in Budapest, including Adeleke, Mageean, Lavin, Fay, Healy, Shanahan, and Coscoran, along with the mixed “4x400m” relay team and David Kenny in the men’s 20km walk.
Other athletes have achieved the Athletics Ireland ‘B’ standard and are within the World Athletics quota places, including Barr, Mawdsley, O’Sullivan, Fitzsimons, and Mark English.
Overall, the championships showcased remarkable talent and determination among Irish athletes, setting the stage for their participation on the international stage.