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IRELAND’S 4X400M women’s relay team said they are targeting more major finals following a devastating fourth place finish tonight in the Paris Olympics.
The team of Sophie Becker, Rhasidat Adeleke, Phil Healy and Sharlene Mawdsley finished the race with a time of 3:19.90, a new national record.
The Irish team won a silver medal at the European Athletics Championships earlier this year behind the Dutch team, which also finished ahead of Ireland tonight to take silver behind the USA, who won gold.
Great Britain took the Olympic bronze tonight as Mawdsley battled with Britain’s Amber Anning down the final straight, with Anning pipping Ireland’s anchor runner to the line by 0.18 seconds.
Mawdsley, who ran a blistering final leg of 49.14 seconds, was emotional as the team spoke to RTÉ’s David Gillick after the race.
“If you told me only a couple of days ago that we would have come fourth, I would have been elated but when you’re out in that last leg, it does kind of feel like it’s your fault,” Mawdsley said as she was embraced by Healy.
I know I ran the best I could. When Amber Anning came up on me I’m aware Femke is behind me, it’s a hard leg. I’m pretty devastated, I just wish I could have done it for the girls, especially Rhasidat yesterday. It’s just heartbreaking but we broke a national record and that was my aim in the meeting today, so I can’t ask for much more than that.
Adeleke last night also finished fourth in the 400m individual event, the first time an Irish woman had ever run in an Olympic sprint final.
Paris 2024: "This team belongs in major finals."
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 10, 2024
Tears and pride from Ireland's women's 4x400 relay team after a performance to remember in the Olympic final
📺 Live on @RTE2 and @RTEPlayer https://t.co/b2OI4OoWVJ
📱 Updates https://t.co/Xy3If3Ako5#Paris2024 #Olympics pic.twitter.com/icCMRwyLA4
Asked how proud she was of the team’s performance, Adeleke said the team has made each other better runners.
“Absolutely, for us to be out here in an Olympic final, and to come fourth, breaking so many barriers and doing so well. We’ve elevated as a team, we all helped each other get to this point. And it’s literally onwards and upwards from here. We believed in each other, we trusted each other. We put our best spurs on the track today and that’s all I can ask of them. I’m so proud of them and I’m so excited to see what the future holds for us a team.”
Healy, who took the baton from Adeleke in second place during the race and managed to hold that position over her leg, said the standard they have reached as a team is “madness”.
“Look, there’s world class athletes out there today and we held our own inside there. To come fourth in an Olympic Games, it’s just madness but it’s what this team is capable of. And I’m just so proud of these girls and there’s a squad of four out there today but we have athletes back in warm up, there are other athletes part of this squad in qualifying, there’s great management, great coaches, the support here in the stadium is unbelievable. It’s just amazing to be part of this team and to come away in fourth is just very special.”
Becker, who started the race and who spoke first for the team after it, said the team “couldn’t have done any more”, adding: “it’s a definition of bittersweet.”
Asked what it was like to take the lead leg for her team, she said:
“I heard the crowd and I just ran until I couldn’t run anymore and I had to give the baton to Rhasidat. This morning we had a meeting and we were all just kind of a little bit scared to say that we wanted a medal because we knew we could get it but we didn’t want to jinx it.”
“Someone has to be fourth, you know today it’s us but we know we deserve a medal and we’ll be back for sure.”
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May she rest in eternal peace,a wonderful lady
Class act brilliant writer and now history maker R.I.P.
Wonderful woman and writer. May she Rest in Peace.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis
Like Sinéad O Connor she was an Irish woman who held up a revealing mirror to the hypocrisy of an Irish Society controlled by the Catholic Church and was punished for it.
@Matt Rogers: Sinead O’Connor was a massive hypo crite herself.
@Ger Whelan: You can’t see the good in anyone or anything though.
@Jack Hayes: what about what I said is I correct?
@Ger Whelan: ***incorrect?
@Ger Whelan: Aren’t we all on some level? It becomes amplified when someone is a public figure and we feel we know them. Every bit of progress, missteps or change of mind is laid out in a seemingly simple line for the rest of us. Add in mental health issues and a troubled life and it’s not exactly a surprise that her life wasn’t an exercise in perfection.
If any of our lives were conducted in the blare of public life we’d quickly be accused of the same things no doubt. It’s impossible to be completely virtuous and avoid all of the contradictions and irrationalities that come with being human. It’s a bit of a low blow to have a pop at her now. She was a troubled soul and she should be left alone in death. She took enough of a hammering while she was alive.
Michael D a great man for the funerals
Beautiful simple send-off, rip.
The Church and their willing and compliant lackeys pursued and lambasted this woman for years, pontificating about their self righteousness. We now know who was morally pure. RIP Edna O’ Brien.
Miraculous medal time soiling this infectious lady’s time.
I guess we need to keep moving.
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