Sophie O'Sullivan ran the 1000m in 2:37.08 at the Citius meeting in Bern tonight (August 4), setting a new personal best for herself and going third on the Irish all-time list — behind only her legendary mother Sonia O'Sullivan (2:34.66) and Ciara Mageean (2:31.06), who broke Sonia's then-27-year-old record in 2020.
Sophie's push in the last 100m won her fourth place, behind Australians Abby Caldwell and Linden Hall in first and second and Britain's Revee Walcott-Nolan in third. Caldwell's time of 2:34.63 is a new national record for Australia.
Meanwhile Sarah Lavin smashed her own personal best to come in fifth in the 100m hurdles with a time of 12.67, just .02 seconds off Derval O'Rourke's Irish record. Lavin had lowered her PB to12.72 just an hour earlier in her semi-final.
Ditaji Kambundji won that final in 12.47, a new Swiss record.
Irish champion Sharlene Mawdsley took third in the 400m in 51.98, behind Laviai Nielsen (50.83) and Jessie Knight (51.75), both representing Britain.
All three athletes are preparing for the World Athletics Championships in Budapest next month as part of a 23-strong squad, the largest ever sent by Ireland to the event. Rhasidat Adeleke and Sarah Healy are among those headed to Hungary.
Unfortunately Phil Healy, who had been slated to compete in the women's 4x400m relay, has ended her season early in order to recover "mentally and physically" for next year. She has been open about her diagnosis with Autoimmune Disease.
