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As the track and field spotlight turns to Apeldoorn for the 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships, Ireland’s contingent of athletes arrives in the Netherlands with both experience, excitement and promise.From Sarah Healy quietly teetering around championship medal form to the championship experience of Sharlene Mawdsley and Sarah Lavin, Ireland’s team is set to test itself against Europe’s elite on the indoor stage from March 6-9.
The championships, held at Omnisport Apeldoorn, mark a crucial stepping stone for many of these athletes as they prepare for the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing later in March.
Yet, in a season where every meet carries significance, this championship carries an added weight, not just in its offering of medals, but in rekindling the fervor that gripped Ireland during last summer’s Paris Olympic Games. It is an occasion for Ireland’s athletes not just to measure themselves against Europe’s finest, but to reassert the nation’s standing among the continent’s elite, a reminder that the strides made last year were not an anomaly but the beginning of something more enduring.
Healy’s Rising Star and Mawdsley’s Championship Mettle
For Sarah Healy, the championships arrive in near-perfect timing. The UCD AC athlete, fresh from a commanding performance at the 123.ie Athletics Ireland Indoor National Championships, shattered her own 1500m championship record twice in 24 hours, ultimately setting a new mark of 4:08.74. Her time places her second among the entrants in Apeldoorn, with only Great Britain’s Melissa Courtney-Bryant boasting a faster PB or season’s best. That statistic alone underlines Healy’s potential to challenge for the podium, particularly in a championship race where tactics and temperament often matter as much as pure speed.
Few athletes wear their national colours with the pride and commitment of Sharlene Mawdsley. Over the past 18 months, she has not merely competed but has thrown herself into races, time and again, willing to push her limits for Ireland. That relentlessness has taken her to a training camp in South Africa in January and, more recently, to her fifth 123.ie Athletics Ireland National Indoor Championship title. . Ranked 12th in the season’s best lists for the 400M, her route to the final will require all of her experience, but Mawdsley has rarely let such hurdles deter her. Championship racing rewards those who rise to the occasion and few do so as reliably as she does.
Alongside her, Lauren Cadden (Sligo AC) makes her individual senior international debut in the 400m, adding to the depth in what promises to be a fiercely contested event. Mawdsley and Phil Healy (Bandon AC) will also feature in the 4x400m relays, with both the women’s and mixed teams eyeing a major final berth. In recent years, Ireland’s relay squads have shown themselves capable of punching above their weight and there’s every reason to believe they can do so again.
Lavin’s Hurdles Challenge and O’Connor’s Multi-Event Ambition
In the 60m hurdles, Sarah Lavin (Emerald AC) carries strong hopes. The Noelle Morrissey-coached athlete has consistently delivered on the big stage and will look to navigate the fine margins of the short sprint hurdles to book her place in a European final. Meanwhile, Kate O’Connor (Dundalk St Gerards AC) takes on the pentathlon, an event that will test her across five disciplines in a single day. For O’Connor, these championships offer an invaluable opportunity to sharpen her skills ahead of a potentially significant outdoor season.
A Landmark Moment for Orla Comerford
While Ireland’s Olympic-bound athletes chase medals and rankings, Orla Comerford will make history in Apeldoorn. The Paralympic bronze medalist competes in the women’s Para 60m (mixed classification) event, marking a significant step forward in integrating para-athletics into major championships. As she put it, “Para athletics is athletics and showcasing both together for the public and in the media only strengthens this understanding. We want to see more para athletes at the big meets this summer and beyond.”
Beyond Ireland: The Wider European Landscape
While Ireland’s focus will be on its own medal hopes, Apeldoorn is set to showcase some of Europe’s most decorated female athletes. Among them, Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine will aim to cement her dominance in the high jump, while Germany’s Yemisi Ogunleye, the Olympic shot put champion, will seek another continental title. These two stars, both Olympic champions from Paris 2024, will bring an added layer of intrigue to the championships.
Elsewhere, the middle-distance battles will feature a clash of generations, with established names facing off against emerging stars, a narrative mirrored across multiple disciplines as Europe’s best vie for the final major indoor title before turning their attention to Nanjing.
Where Can You Watch It?
RTE 2!
Thursday:18:00 Athletics Live: 2025 European Indoor ChampionshipsFriday:09:00 Athletics Live: 2025 European Indoor ChampionshipsSaturday:08:55 Athletics Live: 2025 European Indoor Championships17:30 Athletics Live: 2025 European Indoor ChampionshipsSunday:08:40 Athletics Live: 2025 European Indoor Championships17:15 Athletics Live: 2025 European Indoor Championships
Team Ireland Schedule: Irish Time
Evening Session – Thursday March 6th
Sarah Lavin – Women’s 60m Hurdles – Round One – 19:50 (20:50)
Mixed 4x400m Relay – Final – 20:50 (21:50)
Morning Session – Friday March 7th
Sharlene Mawdsley – Women’s 400m – Round One – 10:55 (11:55)
Lauren Cadden – Women’s 400m – Round One – 10:55 (11:55)
Sarah Lavin – Women’s 60m Hurdles – Semi-Final – 12:45 (13:45) *
Evening Session – Friday March 7th
Sharlene Mawdsley – Women’s 400m – Semi-Final – 18:58 (19:58) *
Lauren Cadden – Women’s 400m – Semi-Final – 18:58 (19:58) *
Sarah Lavin – Women’s 60m Hurdles – Final – 20:43 (21:43) *
Morning Session – Saturday March 8th
Sarah Healy – Women’s 3000m – Round One – 09:20 (10:20)
Jodie McCann – Women’s 3000m – Round One – 09:20 (10:20)
Orla Comerford – 60m Para Mixed Classification 12:17 (13:17)
Evening Session – Saturday March 8th
Sharlene Mawdsley – Women’s 400m – Final – 20:50 (21:50) *
Lauren Cadden – Women’s 400m – Final – 20:50 (21:50) *
Morning Session – Sunday March 9th
Kate O’Connor – Women’s Pentathlon – 60m Hurdles – 08:00 (09:00)
Kate O’Connor – Women’s Pentathlon – High Jump – 08:50 (09:50)
Kate O’Connor – Women’s Pentathlon – Shot Put – 11:21 (12:21)
Evening Session – Sunday March 9th
Kate O’Connor – Women’s Pentathlon – Long Jump – 14:10 (15:10)
Sarah Healy – Women’s 3000m – Final – 16:36 (17:36) *
Jodie McCann – Women’s 3000m – Final – 16:36 (17:36) *
Kate O’Connor – Women’s Pentathlon – 800m – 17:03 (18:03)
Women’s 4x400m Relay – Final – 17:50 (18:50)
*Subject to advancing
