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07 Sept 2025
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07 Sept 2025
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Limerick athlete Sarah Lavin competes in the heats of the 100m hurdles at the Paris Olympics this Wednesday | PICTURE: Sportsfile
Limerick eyes at the Paris Olympics will be focused on the shoulders of Sarah Lavin in the 100m hurdles.
The Emerald AC hurdler is competing in her second Olympic Games. The 100m hurdles gets underway this Wednesday, August 7 when the Lisnagry woman will compete in the first round of the women's hurdles from 9.15am Irish time.
Lavin has already had an exciting Olympic game after being honoured as one of Ireland’s two flagbearers, alongside golfer Shane Lowry, during the stunning opening ceremony on the Seine last Friday evening.
Lavin, who is coached by Noelle Morrissey, is one of nine UL Graduates and UL/Limerick-based athletes competing at the games.
Speaking to UL before heading to Paris to compete, Lavin said: “I guess when you work so hard to be an Olympian, it takes so much hard work for such a long period of time and it’s a dream so many kids have and everyone starts off somewhere.
“I think there were 30 or maybe even 40 of us on a Sunday morning and a Wednesday afternoon but obviously the numbers dwindled as we got older but everyone has to start somewhere.”
Hurdle races are decided by 100ths of a second. Lavin finished fourth at the 2019 World Student Games, fifth at the 2022 Europeans, and has twice been a World Championship semi-finalist.
The nine-time Irish champion had been in terrific form ahead of this year’s Europeans but uncharacteristically clipped a hurdle to finish seventh in the final, yet bounced back by running a season’s best of 12:66 a week later.
Lavin will have to be close to her all time best of 12.62, which she set in August 2023, to be close to claiming a medal at the Olympics.
With the first women's hurdles race on Wednesday, the repechage round of the event takes place the next day on August 8 at 9.35am with Lavin aiming for the semi-final of the hurdles on Friday, August 9 at 11.05am.
Speaking to Team Ireland after being selected to be a flag bearer for Ireland in Paris, Sarah Lavin said: “I am so grateful to those who have trusted me and put me in this position. I guess it's a testament to all the hard work you have put in.”
Lavin competed in the 100m hurdles at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics when she exited in the first round.
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