Sarah Lavin and Nadia Power closed out their final race before the European Athletics Indoors in Poland next Friday, with impressive performances which saw both track stars claim third place.
Sarah Lavin kicked off the racing for the Irish contingent with a personal best time of 8.14 in the semi-final. The Limerick flyer finished third behind behind Spain's Teresa Errandonea and Nadine Visser of the Netherlands to progress directly to the final later in the evening.
PB eile bainte amach ag Sarah Lavin agus í sa tríú háit sa rás ceannais!!! Dochreidte!! ? ? ??@sarahlavin_ comes in 3rd in the 60m hurdles final!! ? ?♀️ #WorldIndoorTour@irishathletics @WorldAthletics pic.twitter.com/Rg2uO8tjao
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) February 24, 2021
The final was eventful to say the least - this included a disqualification for Elvira Herman and falls for two athletes.
Running in lane eight, Lavin kept her cool and composure to not let the falling Zoe Sedney and Evonne Britton to disrupt her focus.
The Lisnagry athlete turned on the jets in the latter half of the distance to claw back the field and claim third.
Coached by Emerald AC's Noelle Morrissey, Lavin secured her second personal best in the space of a few hours, running 8.13. The time puts Lavin up to second on the all-time list behind Derval O'Rourke who set 7.84 in Moskva back in 2006.
The race was won by Nadine Visser who set a new world lead of 7.81.
PB eile bainte amach ag Sarah Lavin agus í sa tríú háit sa rás ceannais!!! Dochreidte!! ? ? ??@sarahlavin_ comes in 3rd in the 60m hurdles final!! ? ?♀️ #WorldIndoorTour@irishathletics @WorldAthletics pic.twitter.com/Rg2uO8tjao
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) February 24, 2021
Elsewhere, Nadia Power and Louise Shanahan were in action in the 800m.
Power continued her relentless form with yet another fast time, clocking 2.01.55. This is Power's second fastest 800m indoor time - just over half a second off her recent personal best. Power finished in 3rd position which will be valuable for ranking on the road to Tokyo.
The DCU student is currently sits within the rankings of the 48 athletes who automatically secure Olympic qualification. Also on the list is Síofra Cléirigh Büttner who is just outside of the rankings at the moment.
Tríú háit baint amach sa 800m ag @NadiaPower6 ?? ?
Louise Shanahan comes in just behind her with a time of 2.05.62! ?#WorldIndoorTour@irishathletics @WorldAthletics pic.twitter.com/M5cmRKU84a— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) February 24, 2021
Power kept close to the front throughout the race and in the final lap the winner, Habitam Alemu, pushed away from the rest of the field while Esther Guerrero who had been in third position until the final straight, kicked on and overtook Power. Alemu won the event in a time of 1.58.95, a new meet record, and claimed the World Indoor Tour title with Nadia Power tied for second place overall.
Nadia Power and Sarah Lavin will head to Poland for the European Indoor Athletic Championships which take place from March 5-7. The duo will join ten other Irish woman who make up the biggest squad Ireland have ever sent to an indoor championship.
Louise Shanahan held on to the group for the first 400m but started to become detached then as Alemu pushed the pace. Shanahan didn’t have it in her to go with them today and finished in a time of 2.05.62 finishing in fourth. Shanahan’s legs were not as fresh as Power’s and possibly much of the rest of the field as she is just off the back of an exceptional performance at the Irish Life Micro Meet on Sunday where she ran a time of 2.01.60. It is a great opportunity for Shanahan to be racing against this calibre of field and she is certainly one to watch over the coming months.
Georgie Hartigan of Dundrum South Dublin AC reacts after winning the Women's 800m with a PB of 2:01.48, ahead of Louise Shanahan of Leevale AC, Cork, left, who finished second, during the Irish Life Health Elite Athlete Indoor Micro Meet at Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena. pic.twitter.com/zvdRBxdA2u
— sportsfile (@sportsfile) February 21, 2021
