Women's 4x400 an outside medal shot as Adeleke enters fray

The Irish team is drawn in lane four, the same lane Rhasidat Adeleke had last night, and it’s expected Adeleke will be added to the team that yesterday finished a fine third in their heat. 

Team Ireland relay team, from left, Phil Healy, Kelly McGrory, Sharlene Mawdsley, and Sophie Becker celebrate after qualifiying for the final in the women's 4 x 400m relay round 1 at the Stade de France during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

This will be a hell of a way to finish: four frantic laps of the Stade de France, a fitting finale to a captivating week of athletics. 

Tonight’s women’s 4x400m final, at 8.14pm Irish time, will be the last event of the Olympic track and field programme, and the fact there’s not only an Irish team participating, but potentially contending for a medal, speaks volumes about the growing strength in the sport in Ireland – and what a special generation of 400m runners are currently in the ranks.