What a year it’s been for Lisnagry’s Sarah Lavin. Gold in the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze Series; qualifying for the semi-finals at both the World Indoor and Outdoor Championships, while also narrowly missing out on a European Indoor Championship medal after running a season’s best in the 60m Hurdles final. Her nomination for Track Athlete of the Year at the 123.ie National Athletics Awards was a fitting reward for a tremendous year.
A win for Sarah in Serbia!
Sarah Lavin (Emerald AC) claims victory in the Women’s 100m Hurdles at the Serbia Athletics Meeting in Belgrade, which is part of World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze series
⏱️ 12.90 (-0.2m/s)
Result ➡️ https://t.co/QIUJ3PpyMJ… pic.twitter.com/iZAoJjbVbB
— Athletics Ireland (@irishathletics) August 7, 2025
The Emerald AC athlete was nominated alongside Andrew Coscoran, Cian McPhillips, Sarah Healy and Mark English. Longford native McPhillips securing the award. It came after his shock 4th place finish in the 800m final at the World Championships in Tokyo earlier this year. Breaking English’s record in the semi and his own record in the final announced a new Irish athlete to the world.
On the night, Sarah’s predecessor Derval O’Rourke was inducted into the Irish Athletics Hall of Fame. The Cork woman was a trailblazer in the sport. She claimed a World Indoor Gold medal for the 60m Hurdles in 2007, two European Championship silver medals and two European Indoor Championship silver medals, along with being a three-time Olympian in what was an outstanding career.
The awards took place yesterday in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Dublin, where Kate O’ Connor took the top award. Newry native and Dundalk AC athlete O’ Connor won Athlete of the Year and Field & Multi Event Athlete of the Year. This was no surprise following a stellar year for the Multi Eventer. Multiple record-breaking performances culminated in winning a bronze medal in the Pentathlon at the European Indoor Championships. This was quickly followed by a silver medal at the World Indoor Championships.
♀️“The talent in Ireland is insane at the moment!”
Fresh off being crowned Athlete of the Year at the 2025 National Athletic Awards, world championship silver medallist Kate O’Connor hails Ireland’s rising stars and teases her plans for 2026.#123Awards #IrishAthletics pic.twitter.com/Tm1MdvQVff
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) November 26, 2025
The country dared to dream, and O’Connor did not disappoint. She won Ireland’s seventh ever medal at the World Outdoor Championships, taking home the silver medal. She also set five personal bests to set a new Irish record of 6,714 points in the heptathlon.