Ireland's mixed relay team have tough 4x400m semi-final

ATHLETICS GET UP AND RUNNING: Team Ireland athletes, from left, Cathal Doyle, Thomas Barr, Eric Favors, Jack Raftery, and Sharlene Mawdsley during a training session at the Stade de France.  Picture: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

The task facing Ireland is a tough one, but then there’s no easy races at this level. The mixed 4x400m relay team of Chris O’Donnell, Sophie Becker, Thomas Barr and Sharlene Mawdsley will go to the line at 6.22pm Irish time this evening and know that if they get it right, another global final will await tomorrow.   

For Barr and O’Donnell, the mixed relay will have their full focus in Paris, while Becker and Mawdsley will also have the individual 400m to come on Monday. In this evening’s heat, the Irish face the Netherlands, Britain, Italy, Ukraine, Nigeria, Dominican Republic and Germany. Only the top three will advance to the final automatically, with two additional time qualifiers across the heats.