Sophie Becker's 400m run comes to an end, Marcus Lawler progresses

It was a semi-final won in 49.57 by Natalia Bukowiecka, the Polish sprinter who beat Rhasidat Adeleke to European gold and Olympic bronze two summers ago.

Ireland’s Sophie Becker finishes eighth. Pic: Morgan Treacy

Irish interest in the women’s 400m came to an end at the semi-final stage as Sophie Becker was unable to improve on the season’s best time that had taken her out of the heats.

In an event where Ireland had expected to feature prominently both in the final and on the podium, injury prevented 2024 European silver medalist Rhasidat Adeleke and the fifth-ranked Sharlene Mawdsley from getting to the one-lap blocks in Birmingham, and so it was left to Becker alone to carry the tricolour.

The 29-year-old has herself endured a challenging 2026 on the injury front, and while she pulled out a season’s best 52.28 to squeeze through Wednesday’s heats, there was no improvement today. Her 52.47 placed her eighth in the second semi-final.

It was a semi-final won in 49.57 by Natalia Bukowiecka, the Polish sprinter who beat Adeleke to European gold and Olympic bronze two summers ago.

“I know I wasn't in shape to get into the final, but I was hoping for another season's best, so I would have liked to have seen a 51.9 on the clock. Initially, I am a bit disappointed, but I think yesterday's [heat] run was definitely a step in the right direction for me,” said Becker.

After an injury interrupted lead-in, Marcus Lawler did enough in the 200m heats to claim one of the last qualifying tickets to Thursday evening’s semi-finals.

A storming bend elevated the 31-year-old into second as Heat 2 turned onto the home straight. It was a position he could not hold over the closing 80m, mind, dropping down to fifth in 20.94.

With only two athletes bettering that 20.94 in a headwind-affected third semi-final (-3.4m/s), the questionable system of prioritising times over placings played into Lawler’s barrow as he went through 11th of the 13 qualifiers.

The Carlow native has been drawn in lane 2 for the second of this evening’s three semis, with Irish record holder Sean Aigboboh, who secured a seeded bypassing of the heats, going in lane six of the first semi.

With two automatic qualifying spots in each semi, Aigboboh’s 20.27 national record from May 1 sees him ranked second on season’s best times in that opening semi-final.

“Proud of that one. It is a good result,” said Lawler, who hadn’t raced since June 24 because of injury.

“To tell you the truth, I didn’t even plan for the semi-final. I was just taking this one, one race at a time. As maybe as unprofessional as it sounds, I didn’t look forward to anything else other than Round 1.

“It is a tough sport, but I love it, and this is a nice result for us. Walking in with the crew coming in, I said, 10 years ago I walked into a European Championships and made a semi-final, so I am after doing the same 10 years on. Looking forward to the challenge later on.” 

Those 200m semis are on track from 8.05pm, the opening Irish act of a potential medal-heavy evening.