Nassau in the Bahamas is the venue this weekend (May 4th & 5th) as Ireland aim to qualify their Mixed 4x400m and Women’s 4x400m relay teams for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The two Irish teams will be competing at the World Athletics Relays at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium where the top fourteen teams will advance to Paris.
On Day One of the competition eight teams in each event will seal their spot at the Games with the top two in each heat qualifying and advancing to the final on Day Two.
The remaining 24 teams will go into the repechage on Day Two where again the top two teams in each of the three heats secure an Olympic berth.
Team Ireland have arrived in the Bahamas 🇧🇸🤩
Just four days to go until World Relays 🔜#WorldRelays #IrishAthletics pic.twitter.com/arMKIN24I5— Athletics Ireland (@irishathletics) May 1, 2024
Finishing positions in the finals will help to determine lane draws at the Olympics.
Ireland go into these championships having had plenty of success in both relays in recent years, most recently making the final of the Women’s 4x400m at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow in March, where they finished fifth.
Rhasidat Adeleke (Tallaght AC) opted to miss those championships, but she returns to the fold this time round for both the Mixed and Women’s events.
Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport AC) has been an integral part of Ireland’s relay success in recent times and will also be part of both squads. Mawdsley anchored the Mixed and Women’s teams in their respective finals at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest last year.
400m Hurdles specialist Thomas Barr (Ferrybank AC) boasted the fastest 400m indoor time by an Irish man this year and competes at these championships for the third time in the Mixed Relay.
He is joined by Cillin Greene (Galway City Harriers), Jack Raftery (Donore Harriers) and Christopher O’Donnell (North Sligo AC) who will all be vying for spots in the starting team.
The very experienced trio of Phil Healy (Bandon AC), Sophie Becker (Raheny Shamrock AC) and Roisin Harrison (Emerald AC), who were all part of the team in Glasgow, could also feature for both squads.
Lauren Cadden (Sligo AC) and Rachel McCann (North Down AC) round out the wider squad having sampled a global championships environment in Glasgow.
Club & Country Video Series Episode 4: Sharlene Mawdsley 📽️
You know her as one of the stars of Irish athletics, but do you know who inspired @sharlenem229 to get involved in athletics from a young age? #ClubAndCountry @Ask123ie @IrishRunnerMag pic.twitter.com/N0DnzBGF9W— Athletics Ireland (@irishathletics) May 1, 2024
World Athletics Relays – Irish in Action (Local Time/Irish Time)
Day One (Saturday May 4th/Sunday May 5th)
· Mixed 4x400m – Heats (19:05/00:05)
· Women’s 4x400m – Heats (21:05/02:05)
Day Two (Sunday May 5th/Monday May 6th)
· Women’s 4x400m – Repechage Round (20:30/01:30)*
· Mixed 4x400m – Repechage Round (21:04/02:04)*
· Mixed 4x400m – Final (21:40/02:40)**
· Women’s 4x400m – Final (22:10/03:10)**
*Subject to not qualifying for the final
*Subject to advancing from the heat
Useful links
· Team Selection is HERE
· World Athletics Relays website and timetable is HERE
· Live Stream available HERE
· Post-race interviews will be available on Athletics Ireland social media channels
