by Adam Moynihan

Sarah Leahy’s rapid rise through the ranks of Irish athletics continues apace. The Killarney sprinter saw off stiff the competition at the National Indoor Championships in Dublin on Sunday, running a time of 7.30 seconds in the final to secure her first gold medal at this level.

This remarkable performance makes the Killarney Valley AC athlete the fourth fastest Irish woman of all-time in the indoor 60-metre event.

The 23-year-old left herself with some work to do coming into the final 30 metres but she crossed the line just ahead of Leevale duo Joan Healy (7.33) and Lucy-May Sleeman (7.38) in what was a thrilling race.

Speaking to the Killarney Advertiser this week, Leahy said she was over the moon to walk away with the gold.

“For once I did actually feel confident heading into this race,” Leahy said. “Normally I tell myself that I’m going to be up against tough opponents and to just try my best. But I’ve been working on the mental side of things and this time I did feel like I had a chance of winning if I performed on the day.

“Thankfully, that’s how it turned out. It’s my first national title at any level so I’m delighted.

“In the video footage it looked like I was well behind coming into the final 30 metres, and I did feel like I was slightly behind, but apparently from the side the gap didn’t look that big.

“I’m really happy to run a personal best as well. It was a great weekend all-round.”

Leahy will now turn her attention to the outdoor season as she aims to improve her time in the 100-metre sprint.

Fellow Kerry athlete David Kenny of Farranfore Maine Valley AC also took home gold in the 5km walk. Kenny finished in a time of 19:11.42, over 28 seconds ahead of runner-up Brendan Boyce.

Leahy’s Killarney Valley clubmate Ciara Kennelly also made the podium. She finished third in the high jump.