The Irish 4x400m relay team of Jack Raftery, Sophie Becker, Christopher O'Donnell, and Sharlene Mawdsley have secured a top six finish in 3:14.13 to round out a superb opening day for Team Ireland at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest (Aug 19th).
The result, which ranks as the best ever finish by an Irish relay team at a global outdoor (senior) championships, continues a remarkable run for the mixed relay team which has also seen them claim top-eight finishes at both the World Championships in Oregon last year, and the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
Speaking after the race, Sligo’s Christopher O’Donnell said: “We’ve been here so many times now (making finals), at the start it was a big shock but now we’re really looking to step it up. Tonight we really weren’t far off a medal and there is so much potential as a squad and in the athletes that are not here. We’re laid the foundations and now we really want to push on.”
Relay squad members Roisin Harrison and Callum Baird played important roles in this week’s preparations and will continue to be key members of future relay success.
A dramatic finish to the race saw the medals go the way of United States 3:08.80 in a new world record, Great Britain & NI 3:11.06 in a national record, and Czech Republic 3:11.98 in a national record, as the Netherlands' Femke Bol (indoor 400m record holder) tripped and fell just meters from victory — in nearly the same spot where her compatriot Sifan Hassan fell when she was apparently on the way to gold in the 10k final.
Meanwhile Kate O’Connor (Dundalk St Gerard’s AC) rounded out her busy opening day with a best of 13.47m in the shot put, followed by a 24.78 season’s best in the 200m to head into tomorrow’s final day in 11th position on 3684 points.
