SARAH Lavin fulfilled a childhood dream when securing a brilliant bronze medal at the European Athletics Championship in Poland.
Lavin’s impressive time of 12.82 (three days before the eventual placings became known) was fast enough to earn the Emerald AC athlete a podium place, albeit by just a mere one thousandth of a second from Laeticia Bapté of France.
Her time is the second fastest of her career; just 0.03s off the personal best she clocked at the European Championships in Munich last Summer.
Gold went to home favourite Pia Skrzyszowska (Poland) who ran a time of 12.77sec, while Nadine Visser (The Netherlands) took silver in 12.81sec.
A delighted Lavin said: “I’m so so happy. I’ve dreamt of winning this, winning a major senior medal since I was a kid. It’s a really strange way to do it – to have that run by myself the other day and to have to play that waiting game to watch all the best from every country compete against each other.”
She made special reference to her late partner Craig Breen.
“I’ve had incredibly special people helping me over the last few months, over last years, but ultimately I think someone very special up there is helping me.
“They like the drama obviously today to bring it right one thousandth of a second, to get that bronze when the best were there,” said Lavin.
