The phenomenal 400m runner, Sharlene Mawdsley, has proven yet again that there’s no stopping her. Miraculously, she managed to return to Stadio Olimpico less than half a day after scoring impressively at the individual European 400m final. It was there that Mawdsley showcased her astonishing athletic prowess by participating in the 4x400m relay’s final leg, assisting Ireland to secure the swiftest qualification for Wednesday’s final game.
Notwithstanding the physical strain from her participation in Monday night’s 400m final – which yielded the fastest European times recorded in this century – Mawdsley teamed up with Sopher Becker, Phil Healy, and Lauren Cadden to participate in Tuesday morning’s second semi-finals. Mawdsley waited patiently until she was fully recuperated from Monday’s final where she came eighth with a time of 51.59. Although she had initially not intended to participate in the relay, her decision to step in for Kelly McGrory during the warm-up paid off. Mawdsley’s stellar performance helped elevate Ireland’s position from fourth to first, clocking an impressive 49.76 seconds; this was the quickest in the semi-finals.
Ireland celebrated a clean victory with 3:24.81, ahead of France at 3:25.15 and Belgium trailing at 3:25.16. Only the top three teams, in addition to the two quickest non-automatic times, can move forward. The final is to occur at 8.05pm (Irish time) on Wednesday night. The expectation is for Rhasidat Adeleke to join the final team, though the final choice is yet to be made. But for now, Adeleke seems keen to join.
The relay began with Becker’s 51.64, putting the Irish second to Belgium. Healy followed, clocking 51.29, while Cadden maintained the team’s position running at 52.12. At this point, Belgium seemed to pull ahead, creating a noticeable gap. However, Mawdsley, undeterred, ran a remarkable 49.76. Her sprint brought her to the finish line, coming from the inside out. The first semi-final was won by Poland with a time of 3:25.59. The Dutch women, who managed to qualify in third place, are expected to bring their star player, Femke Bol, to the finals, following her participation in the 400m hurdles final this evening.
Adeleke impressed at Monday’s 400m finals with a record time of 49.07 seconds, the best she’s ever clocked in this category despite losing out to Natalia Kaczmarek from Poland. Kaczmarek clinched the gold by exceeding her personal best by half a second and crossed the 49-second mark for the first time, finishing the race in 48.98 seconds. This cements both Kaczmarek’s and Adeleke’s place as the holders of the two fastest times this century in the women’s European 400m run, respectively. Moreover, Adeleke’s time could have garnered an Olympic gold in five of the past six events, with only the Tokyo Olympics’ 48.48 seconds performance being quicker. In Tokyo, Adeleke’s time could have secured her a silver medal.
Meanwhile, the Irish men’s 4x400m team, comprising Jack Raftery, Chris O’Donnell, Sean Doggett, and Callum Baird, obtained fifth place in their semi-final with a season best of 3:04.01. They ran briefly in a qualifying position before being bested by the British team’s 3:01:69 performance. The non-automatic qualification spots in the second semi-final went to the German and Spanish fractionally faster teams, leaving the Irish team ranked tenth overall.
Subsequently, the men’s 4x100m semi-finals featured Bori Akinola, Mark Smyth, Colin Doyle, and Israel Olatunde who clocked in a season best of 39.34, thus taking seventh place while Germany won the round with 38.53.
Ireland’s chances now rest in the women’s 4x400m final, promising another exciting race.