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IRELAND HAS NOT qualified for the 4x400m mixed relay final after finishing fifth in their heat.
The team struggled to secure a place in the top three in a race that included the Netherlands, Britain, Italy, Ukraine, Nigeria, Dominican Republic and Germany to make it to the final.
In heat one, the US, France, Belgium, Jamaica and Poland qualified for tomorrow evening’s final.
Ireland’s time was 3:12:67 in heat two. They needed 3:11:43 to qualify for the final.
At the Tokyo Olympics, they finished 8th.
In this evening’s semi-final, the Great Britain secured first place, with the Netherlands, Italy and Nigeria close behind.
Sophie Becker stepped in for Rhasidat Adeleke, who decided to skip the event to focus on her quest for a historic spring medal for Ireland in the 400m race next week.
Chris O’Donnell, Thomas Barr and Sharlene Mawdsley ran the other legs of the tonight’s heat, having been part of the team that won gold at the European Championships earlier in the summer in June.
O’Donnell was first out for Ireland, running his leg in 45.80. Becker followed with a 51.07 leg before Barr clocked 45.20. Mawdsley then finished strong with 49.97, but it wasn’t enough for Ireland to advance from a stacked field.
Earlier, Ireland’s Jodie McCann failed to progress from the heats of the Women’s 5,000m.
The Dublin City Harriers athlete finished 20th in her heat, crossing in 15:55.08.
The first eight from each heat advanced to the final.
Cathal Doyle, Luke McCann and Andrew Coscoran all failed to progress directly in the 1500m heats. A repechage has been introduced at these Olympic Games, so all three athletes will get another chance in Paris.
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They did their best proud of ye fair play.
@Phillip Smyth: no 2 ways about it, they gave a right good to at it. It’s been a fantastic Olympics for Ireland.we’re really ‘punching’. Immensely proud & kudos to all competitors
@Comments Section Closed: hilarious take a bow
Well done guys and gals.
Missed Adeleke’s world class to get them over the line and to the final.. but a valiant effort nonetheless.. well done all. Go Rhasidat !!
@Brian: the men are too slow
@P. V. Aglue: The women need to be be under 50 seconds and only Sharlene managed that.
Brilliant effort from the guys. They had such a fantastic year.
Great effort, disappointed for them. It was a tough field for a first round heat
Olympic legends
Strange that no women who become men compete in men’s sport only other way around
@Will: If you talk about boxing, she isn’t a trans, it’s more complicated than that. But she/he shouldn’t compete against women anyway.
@Will: I think you’re confused.
@Will: wrong article
@Comments Section Closed: Will brought it into the conversation, wrongly, perhaps have an issue with him Alex is only responding to that! These comments on gender are totally irrespective of what the article is about. Go Ireland.
@Alex: so what you are saying is that a woman who was born female,has a uterus and has not had any treatment is not allowed to compete in sports,where do you draw the line honestly,humans are made up of different attributes but unfortunately people like you and I will admit many more feel that they have the right to judge without knowing the facts which is a shame.
@derek hennessy: But he has XY chromosomes. No biological woman on earth has XY Chromosomes.
Biology matters.
Calico cats are 99.9 % female. That’s their colour
not their breed. The males are XXY and are infertile. Veterinary science does not classify them as female.
All of nature throws up anomalies every now and then.
@Alex: why not
Killie Harrington beat her no problem
@Comments Section Closed: she was born a women and that’s what on her birth cert
Pity really. Ireland are European champions and 3rd fastest in the whole field.
Rhasida takes 1.5 seconds off that time and they qualify easily.
Brilliant effort from all 4 of them / fact that they were so disappointed to not make the final only speaks to how far they’ve come!
Seen quicker brass monkeys running from the Garda in o connell street ha ha
@patrick lanigan: Fairplay, Linford.
Tough to beat the great Britain in final
Oh oh. I had this down as a guaranteed gold medal in the massive accumulator that I put on.
Cannot wait to see radakat
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