Mawdsley gets Irish off to fast start at European Games

FLYING START: Sharlene Mawdsley got Ireland off to a flying start taking top points with victory in the women’s 400m in 51.55, the second fastest time of her career. Pic:  ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

Sharlene Mawdsley got Ireland off to a flying start at the European Games in Poland this morning, taking top points with victory in the women’s 400m in 51.55, the second fastest time of her career.

That earned 15 points for Ireland in the European Team Championships and she was Ireland’s sole winner on day one of the three-day athletics competition. Ireland got relegated to the bottom tier, division three, after bypassing the last edition of the championships in 2021, but they look primed to top that after a strong first day.

They sit second overnight on 156 points, just behind Austria (159), but with the likes of Thomas Barr, Sarah Lavin and Louise Shanahan yet to compete, they’re expected to move to the top of the standings when it matters most and be one of three nations promoted to division two. Mawdsley got them off to an ideal start, shaking off the early morning at the Slaski Stadium in Chorzow to coast to victory. “I was running blind for most of the race so I’m happy with that,” she said.

Israel Olatunde finished a close second in the 100m, the Irish record holder clocking 10.37 to finish just behind Markus Fuchs of Austria (10.36). “I wanted to get as many points as I could for Ireland and second place isn’t too bad,” said Olatunde. Nicole Tuthill produced an Irish U-23 record to finish second in the women’s hammer, throwing 67.85m, while Mayo’s Michaela Walsh threw 15.26m to take second in the women’s shot put.