LAST UPDATE | 22 Aug 2023

IRELAND’S SARAH LAVIN and Mark English have both qualified for the semi-finals of the World Championships after impressive performances in Budapest this evening.

Lavin finished third in her 100m hurdles heat in 12.69 seconds, 0.02 seconds outside her personal best and just 0.04 seconds away from Derval O’Rourke’s national record.

Ackera Nugent of Jamaica (12.60) and USA’s Masai Russell (12.60) were first and second over the line, with Lavin and Cyréna Samba-Mayela (12.71) of France taking the other two automatic qualification places.

The semi-finals take place tomorrow evening from 7.45pm Irish time.

“Hundreds of girls hurdle in the world, only 40 are lucky enough to come here, and now you’re down to the [top] 24,” Lavin told RTÉ Sport’s David Gillick afterwards.

“To make that [final] eight, it’s going to require something very, very special and everything really precise in the moment.

“I think it’s going to require beyond a national record, and as we know, Derval is one of our most prolific athletes, so it’s no mean feat.”

Meanwhile, Mark English produced his season’s best when it mattered most — and then faced a nerve-wracking wait before his place in the 800m semi-finals was confirmed.

English came home fourth in Tuesday’s second 800m heat in 1:45.71, just outside the three automatic qualification places.

And with just three places on offer to the fastest non-automatic qualifiers, the Donegal native then had to sit patiently through five more heats before his place was confirmed.

Ireland’s other representative in the men’s 800m, Kildare’s John Fitzsimons, was fifth in his heat in 1:48.20, missing out on progression by 0.23 seconds.

Later on Tuesday evening, Ciara Mageean will contest the 1500m final at 8.31pm.