Marcus Lawler takes 200 metre bronze at World University Games in Naples

Marcus Lawler has won a rare sprint medal for Ireland when capturing third place over 200 metres at the World University Games in Naples.

The Carlow IT student also did it the difficult way, running in lane two but chasing hard to finish to claim the bronze medal in 20.55 seconds, with Brazil’s Paulo Camilo completing a sprint double by taking gold in 20.28.

The last Irish man to medal in this event was Paul Hession, who also won bronze back in 2005 in 21.02, the same year Derval O’Rourke also won bronze in the 100m hurdles.

Sarah Lavin came just short of matching that feat when finishing fourth in a fast 100m hurdles final in Naples, clocking 13.28, running in lane eight: victory there went to the Italian and home favourite Luminosa Bogliolo in 12.79, one of the fastest times in the world this year.

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Also doing well to make her 200m final after a period of injury was Phil Healy, and she finished sixth best in 23.44, the gold medal won by the Krystania Tsimanouskaya from Belarus in 23.00.

Ireland has only ever won four gold medals in the 60 years of the World University Games: Thomas Barr struck gold over the 400m hurdles in Gwangju, South Korea, in 2015, joining Sonia O’Sullivan (1991 - 1500m), Ronnie Delany (1961 - 800m) and Niall Bruton (1991-1500m).