An impressive finish brought the Irishman up to fourth in heat three and granted him a time of 49.02, behind only Norway’s Karsten Warholm – the athlete expected to win the heat.

The top four spots granted athletes automatic qualification into the semi-finals with Barr among them and guaranteed a decent starting spot in the race.

The Rio Olympics fourth placer qualified 11th-fastest in the heats on what is seen as a quick track but his second-place finish is the one that matters as they grant starting positions based on the latter.

The Irishman’s time bodes well for him as he looks set to fall into the pattern of progression throughout each round at previous championships.

His times from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and Berlin 2018 showcase increased speed after every race.

The 29-year-old began Rio 2016 with a time of 48.93 and shaved almost a second of it by the time he crossed the line in the final race to take fourth – he ran a personal best of 47.97.

Berlin 2018 also followed a similar pattern, with his semi-final time being identical to his time in Rio – 48.39.

Earlier, three other Team Ireland athletes took the track – Nadia Power, Louise Shanahan and Siofra Cleirigh-Butler all finished seventh in their heats in their respective events.

Power ran the Women’s 800m in heat two in a time of 2:03.04 with Shanahan getting over the line half a second slower in the succeeding heat.

Cleirigh-Butler was a second behind the pair after her run in heat four, crossing the line after 2:04.62.

All the athletes ran in very humid conditions at the new Olympic Stadium, built on the same site as the old 1964 Olympic Stadium.

The Men’s 400m Hurdles semi-finals will take place on Sunday, August 1st with the first of three starting at the later time of 1:05 pm.

The post Thomas Barr Into Semis As Team Ireland Start Track Events appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The Limerick hurdler won the 100m hurdles at the National Championships in Dublin with a 13.17 run.

The time is her second fastest ever, behind only her magnificent time last week in Madrid.

In Madrid, the hurdler broke her personal record with a 12.95 finish at the World Athletics Continental Tour silver meeting.

Lavin became the second-ever Irish woman to break the 13-second barrier.

The two sensational results for the 27-year-old have her in a great position to qualify for the Olympics.

The result means that Lavin can secure qualification with another good run in Lucerne, Switzerland on Tuesday.

The runner currently sits 36th in the Women’s 100m hurdles Road To Tokyo rankings.

The top 40 on June 29th, which is the closing date for the Olympic deciders, will travel to Tokyo to race in the event at the Olympics.

After rupturing two ligaments in her ankle a year ago, qualification for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics would be the perfect way for the track star to recover.

The extra year to prepare for the Olympics has allowed her to regain fitness and get into the Olympic picture as the cut-off date draws near.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Lavin admitted that “the Olympics probably wasn’t going to happen for me this time 12 months ago.”

After the race on Saturday, the 27-year-old paid tribute to a friend she had recently lost on RTÉ.

“I lost a good friend of mine last Friday night and it really hurt this week because I came back on Sunday and found out.

“My family had kept it from me just for Madrid and I’ve no doubt she was behind that and she was behind today.

“I’m so lucky to be in this position and hopefully get the job done on Tuesday night.”

The post Sarah Lavin One Step Away From Olympics appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.