Sophie Becker produces season's best to squeeze into 400m semi-finals

Ireland’s Sophie Becker celebrates after the race. Pic: Morgan Treacy/Inpho

Rising to the occasion. Rising to the standard. Sophie Becker produced her fastest time of the year to squeeze into the 400m semi-finals on the third day of European Championship action.

Across nearly all sprint heats in Birmingham, it is the 12 fastest qualifiers advancing to join the 12 seeded athletes in the semis. 

But because of Sharlene Mawdsley’s late withdrawal for this 400m event, owing to a hamstring injury recovering too slowly, it created an additional qualifying spot in Wednesday morning’s heats.

Lucky 13th it proved for Becker who snapped up that final and additional ticket that came into being through the misfortune of her relay teammate.

Finishing third in the opening heat in a season’s best 52.28, the 29-year-old held her form very well down the home straight to hold off Melanie Roland of Switzerland to her immediate right.

With the latter ending up missing out on a semi-final place by one spot, it was a crucial holding of form and place by Becker.

Her 52.28 was significantly quicker than the pair of 53-plus clockings she posted at nationals at the end of last month.

“I am a little bit in shock, to be honest,” said Becker.

“I have spoken before about how this season hadn’t been going to plan for me at all, so I don’t really know where I pulled that out of. I didn’t feel amazing in my warm-up, it was a lot of positive talk trying to convince myself that I feel good.

“I wanted to make a semi-final, but given how my last few races went, I wasn’t sure if that was possible. I think I am good at performing under pressure and when it counts. I am proud of myself for that run. I can go into the semi-final with a good and confident run behind me.” 

With none of her five most recent 400m races having dipped under 52.5 - Becker is a 51.13 athlete at her best - it was training form and experience that had to be heavily relied upon coming in here.

“I had two or three good sessions the last few weeks. I did a really good 250m before we came, so I got some confidence from that.

“And then, honestly, it is experience. This is my fourth European Champs. I have been in Olympic and World finals, so I have to lean on that and tell myself I can take it out of the bag when it is needed.” 

Two years ago in Rome, Ireland had two women - Rhasidat Adeleke and Sharlene Mawdsley - in the European 400m final, with Becker placing 10th overall following semi-final elimination.

Fast forward to this week where injury has prevented 400m involvement for Adeleke, Mawdsley, and recently crowned national champion Rachel McCann, while long-time relay member and 400m trailblazer Phil Healy has retired after an injury-interrupted couple of seasons.

Becker's green suit thus stands alone in the one-lap event.

“It’s heartbreaking, honestly, just seeing all my teammates and what they have gone through the last number of weeks, months, and years,” she continued.

“You have to just be grateful to make it to the line. That has made me more grateful that although the races haven’t gone to plan, I am here and I am healthy as I can be. I just want to get through this healthy and unscathed and hopefully we’ll have the band quite literally back together next year.” What represents a satisfactory semi tomorrow noon?

“I would like to run another season’s best and replicate a run like I did there, I would be very happy with that. I don’t want to throw out numbers because it is easy to get disappointed then when that doesn’t work. A season’s best, I’d be very happy. Honestly, making a semi-final is already a big tick for me.” 

Elsewhere, Lauren Roy’s 23.20 for fourth in the opening 200m heat qualified her sixth overall for this evening’s semis, where Adeleke will line up as one of the top 12 seeds.