It was evident from the initial baton hand-off that the Irish team had a significant hurdle to overcome in their bid to reach the finals of the Olympic 4x400m mixed relay during the opening night of athletics at France’s Stade de France. This forecast indeed came true, with Chris O’Donnell, Sophie Becker, Thomas Barr, and Sharlene Mawdsley falling short of securing a spot in the Saturday night final when they ranked fifth in their first round.
Their overall performance fell three seconds short of their national record, a title they earned at the European championship in Rome earlier in June. They clocked 3:12.67, trailing significantly behind the team from Great Britain who, on the other hand, beat their own national record by finishing in 3:10.61. Great Britain placed ahead of the Netherlands, Italy and Nigeria, who also surpassed Ireland by finishing fourth with a time of 3:11.99.
The top three teams from each round secured their place in the final, in addition to the two fastest runners-up. However, Ireland were unable to break into this group, with Jamaica and Poland claiming the runner-up spots from the first round.
O’Donnell began for Ireland in the seventh lane, adhering to the compulsory man-woman-man-woman sequence. Post the first baton hand-off, they held fourth place, with Becker maintaining her position effectively. Yet, by the third hand-off, Barr fell to fifth place.
Despite Mawdsley’s best efforts, she found it impossible to catch up with the leading four already well ahead. The first round conditions were more challenging, consisting of reigning world champions the USA, previous Olympic champions Poland, and also teams from the Bahamas, Jamaica and France, who all rallied with fervent support from the domestic spectators.
In line with predictions, the USA dominated and smashed their own world record, clocking in at 3:07.71, more than three seconds ahead of France at 3:10.60, who also set a national record, along with Belgium in the third position.
Three out of the eight participating teams, conducted a record-breaking performance, with Jamaica securing the fourth position with 3:11.06, while the prevailing Olympic victors, Poland, ended up being fifth with their time of 3:11.43. In its pioneering installment at the Olympics, the Irish team had an opportunity to play the final in Tokyo. The standards of the event have elevated remarkably since that time in terms of precision and eminence. In Tokyo, the champion title was claimed by Poland boasting a record of 3:09.87, while Ireland managed to secure the eighth position.
Rhasidat Adeleke was unavailable for the team as she was single-mindedly concentrating on the individual 400m, firmly believing in her potential to compete for a medal against the world’s top single-lap runners in the heats scheduled for Monday night.
Back in June, the Irish team had snatched the European gold medal in Rome, setting a record of 3:09.92, classified as the third swiftest right after the Dutch and the Dominicans. The race was an unbroken final, wherein Adeleke had covered the second leg.
On the same day, during the morning session, Cathal Doyle became the first Irish athlete to join the Olympic men’s 1,500 metres heats in the Stade de France. It was rather immediately noticeable the level of competitiveness the event held. With only room for the leading six competitors from each of the three heats to compete in Sunday’s semi-finals, the event was merciless. Despite Doyle’s adept mid-race positioning, he ended the race in ninth place with a timing of 3:37.82, whereas the heat was won by Josh Kerr, Britain’s World champion, with 3:35.83.
In heat two, Luke McCann placed eighth, completing the track in 3:35.73 after putting his all into the final 100m. Subsequently, Andrew Coscoran failed to maintain pace in the last 400m in his heat, falling behind evidently, and concluded the run at the last position, 15th, with a time of 3:42.07.
Unfortunately, all the Irish competitors have to compete in the fresh repechage round that has been incorporated for the first time in the Olympics. Scheduled for Saturday evening (6.15pm Irish time), the event gives them a second chance to qualify for the semi-finals on Sunday but at the expense of an extra race. Despite the opportunity of a second attempt, McCann did not seem very fond of the idea. He appeared quite exhausted and drenched in sweat shortly after his run.
McCann confessed his natural inclination to sweat profusely, particularly after finishing his event in 3:35.21, behind the Ethiopian champion Ermias Girma. He stated he had not intended to participate in a repechage but was prepared for consecutive rounds having prepared for three years. “No one in the village had considered a repechage, we all aim to win, we all envisage reaching the semi-finals”, he added. His goal is to make the best of the repechage situation, despite this not being a typical occurrence.
Doyle shared that the Stade de France had an unparalleled racing ambience that he had never witnessed before. He decided to stay close to the rail as long as possible yet conceded he allowed many to surpass him due to the slow pace. Now, he acknowledges the need to advance his position in the upcoming event, stating candidly, “This is my Olympic final”.
Corcoran did not mask his disillusionment with his own heat performance, which was dominated by the previous champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen from Norway. Corcoran claimed that the year had been plagued with setbacks due to ill-health and injury, obliquely affecting his training routine and overall strength. He felt as though he was constantly struggling to keep up and admitted that he wasn’t at his best during the event. Regardless, he’s determined to participate in the repechage, noting, “It is the Olympics, after all. I owe it to myself to keep fighting”.
At least temporarily, the three will have the opportunity to compete again tomorrow evening. Ingebrigtsen has been vigilant against sickness, making his way through the mixed zone donning a face mask. He has reignited the tension between him and Kerr, claiming there’s no real competition between them. As Ingebrigtsen emphasised, it’s hard to see him as a contender when Kerr is perpetually absent from contests. He described Kerr as the British athlete who hardly ever participates in races. As someone who aims to join as many races as he can for the enjoyment of it, Ingebrigtsen wishes to be present at these events. He believes that being part of this is a wonderful experience.