'We couldn’t ask for much more' - huge night for Ireland at World Relays
Phil Healy of Ireland, left, takes the baton from team-mate Rhasidat Adeleke whilst competing in the women's 4x400m relay heats during day one of the World Athletics Relays at Thomas A Robinson National Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas. Photo by Erik van Leeuwen/Sportsfile
As nights go, this was about as good as it could get. Two races, two wins, two national records and with that, Ireland now has two relay teams qualified for the Paris Olympics.
At the World Relays in the Bahamas last night, the mixed 4x400m and women’s 4x400m teams advanced to the finals with impressive victories in their heats, breaking the respective national records and sending a message to the sprint superpowers that they’re no longer content to fill the minor placings.
“We couldn’t ask for much more,” said Sharlene Mawdsley, who anchored both teams. “I can’t put into words how much this means to us all. We ticked off everything on the checklist tonight so it’s on to tomorrow.”
And now it’s all to play for as they take on the top nations of global sprinting in tonight’s two finals. The women’s team were the quickest overall qualifiers for the 4x400m final, which takes place at 3.10am Irish time, while the mixed relay were third fastest into their final, which is first up at 2.40am.
At the heart of both breakthroughs last night were two athletes whose individual brilliance is only elevated when they run for a team, for their country. Rhasidat Adeleke and Mawdsley formed the central crux of both quartets, the pair putting in an almighty shift with two superb legs with less than two hours between races.
After Cillin Greene led off the mixed relay with a 46.99-second leg, Adeleke took the baton in seventh place, but the 21-year-old produced her typical magic to hoist them up to first after splitting a blazing 49.64 seconds. But for a mistake by officials, that would have been much faster, given Adeleke had to take a long detour to lane six up the home straight to find Thomas Barr, who’d wrongly been forced to line up on the very outside for the changeover.
“I was so frustrated,” said Barr. “We were passing 200 metres in third place which meant we should have been third in the line up to get the baton. I had to wave at (Rhasidat) to get her to come out.”
Barr nonetheless got the baton in front and he was headed on the home straight of his leg but fought back valiantly to hand off to Mawdsley in front following a 45.74-second split, and the Tipperary sprinter was foot-perfect on her anchor leg, splitting 50.13 to bring Ireland home ahead of Belgium and Britain in 3:12.50, breaking the national record of 3:12.88 they’d run to finish eighth in the Tokyo Olympic final. It also ensured they grabbed one of two automatic spots available in each heat for the Paris Olympics.
Mawdsley and Adeleke then made a swift turnaround for the women’s 4x400m, joining Phil Healy and Sophie Becker to obliterate the previous Irish record of 3:26.04, winning their heat in 3:24.38.
Becker led them off with a 52.62-second leg, and Adeleke again blazed to the front on the second leg, splitting 49.48 despite the fatigue of her earlier run. Phil Healy consolidated pole position on the third leg, covered in 51.30, and Mawdsley played a patient, savvy game on the final leg, towing her British rival around and conserving her energy for the home straight, where she kicked clear after a split of 50.98.
“I can’t express how proud I am of this team and these girls,” said Becker. “I’m just elated.” Adeleke admitted she felt “a little sleepy” ahead of the event due to an early start. “But knowing we could all qualify for the Olympics, that gives you enough energy to go out there and do your best,” she said.
The Irish mixed relay team has made a string of global finals over the last four years, which Barr put down to their collective spirit. “We always come together really well as a team, we always outperform our individual times,” he said. “That’s what our magic is. We always punch above our weight and this is going to really bring everyone on to Paris 2024.”
With just 30 minutes between tonight’s two finals, there will likely be changes to the Irish line-ups, but only one substitution is allowed for the mixed relay final. But with the main objective of the weekend achieved – Olympic qualification – both teams will feel they’re playing with house money.
However, there is plenty still to be gained from a strong performance, with decent prize money on offer and lane seedings for the Paris Olympics set to be based on the final placings. There will undoubtedly be some residual fatigue after last night’s huge efforts, but as Greene looked ahead to the final, and onwards to Paris, he made a bold prediction: “It looks like we’re only going to get faster.”
World Relays: Live, Sunday night: BBC Red Button/Eurovisionsport.com, 11.55pm
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