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Sarah Lavin reacts after finishing fourth. Morgan Treacy/INPHO
60m Hurdles
Sarah Lavin just misses out on a medal after placing fourth in European Indoors final
The Limerick athlete just missed out on a medal in Apeldoorn in the Netherlands.
SARAH LAVIN FINISHED fourth in the final of the women’s 60m hurdles this evening at the European Indoor Athletics Championship in the Netherlands, just missing out on a medal.
Lavin finished in a time of 7.92 seconds to come home fourth, with Ditaji Kambundji of Switzerland taking the gold medal in 7.67, Nadine Visser of the Netherlands took silver in 7.72, while Pia Skrzyszowska of Poland was in the bronze position in 7.83.
The fourth-place finish continued Lavin’s major indoor championship progress after finishing seventh in the Worlds in 2022, sixth in the Europeans in 2023, and fifth in the Worlds last year.
Earlier today Lavin had eased into the final with a run of 7.94 seconds to seal second place in her semi-final, while last night she made a strong start by winning her heat in a time for 7.93 seconds at the stadium in Apeldoorn.
'Fourth in the fastest European race ever' - @sarahlavin_ on just missing out on a podium finish at #Apeldoorn2025 #IrishAthletics #rtesport pic.twitter.com/SrF9J4UhWN
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) March 7, 2025
“I’d say it’s the fastest fourth place ever?,” reflected Lavin, when talking to RTÉ Sport afterwards.
“That’s the bottom line (mistake at the first hurdle), you can’t physically do that because I’m competing with the best girls ever that have been in Europe, could be a good time to be a hurdler or a bad time, however way you view it.
“I still have World Indoors in two weeks time in China. But like at the same time, seventh, sixth, fifth, fourth…I have to get my first hurdle right. My reaction was good, consistently all weekend, but it’s what I’m actually doing, it’s not like a strength or a power deficit. It’s the actual way I’m using my strength and power.
“7.9, but I want to see an 8. You have to do everything right to see an 8. You can keep coming back with excuses and all that but like you just have to be tidy, you have to be clean.
“Fourth is fourth. Who’s happy with fourth? It’s just one of those things isn’t it, but at the same time considering where I was two weeks ago…credit to genuinely so many people that are in my circle. They are so incredible and I’m so lucky to have so much love in my life, and that sounds so deep but that’s honestly the thing that matters most.
“I promise I’ll look back in a few days and be a bit more measured about it. I’m fourth in Europe, it’s not the end of the world, in the fastest European race ever. Last year I was in the fastest World final ever. I just need to raise my own standard and we’ll find a way.”
𝐋𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐍 𝟒𝐓𝐇 𝐈𝐍 𝐄𝐔𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋👏
— Athletics Ireland (@irishathletics) March 7, 2025
A huge championship performance from Sarah Lavin in a stacked 60mH final🤩 The Emerald AC athlete clocks a 7.92 season's best in a major final👏
Full Result ➡️ https://t.co/NOKQt6eUxC#IrishAthletics #Apeldoorn2025 pic.twitter.com/j60i2l8kZh
Written by Fintan O’Toole and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.
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