WATCH: Limerick's Sarah Lavin says it will take 'something special' to make 'World' final

LIMERICK sprint hurdler Sarah Lavin will bid to reach the final of the women's 100m hurdles at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest tonight.

Lisnagry woman Lavin will compete in the first of the semi-finals of the event at 7.45pm on Wednesday evening. Lavin, of Emerald AC, has been drawn in lane four for the race.

In her first round heat on Tuesday evening, Lavin, who is coached by Noelle Morrissey, finished third in a time of 12.69. That time was .02 of a second outside her personal best time set in Bern earlier this month. 

The first two home in Wednesday's semi-final plus the two fastest times from the three semi-finals will make it through to the final.

Twenty nine-year-old Lavin said it was going to take a new national record time to advance from her semi-final to the World Championship final at 8.22pm on Thursday evening.

.@sarahlavin_ tells @DavidGillick that it may require a time "beyond the national record" to reach the 100m hurdles at the #WorldAthleticsChampionships #rtesport pic.twitter.com/E3qiHWoMax

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 22, 2023

She told RTÉ Sport after her first round heat: "I need to be more clinical about the start; you are against the best girls in the world and only 40 are good enough to come here. Now you are down to the 24; it just keeps dropping and dropping to the final eight.

"It will require something special and everything really, really precise in the moment. I think it's going to require something beyond the national record and we know Derval (O'Rourke time of 12.65) is one of the most prolific athletes. It's no mean feat."