Ireland women claim silver medal in 4x400m relay at European Athletics Championships

Once the baton was passed to Sharlene Mawdsley on the anchor leg another medal for Ireland was most definitely on. And who better to anchor the Irish woman’s 4x400m relay to a magnificent silver on the final night of the European Championships in the Stadio Olimpico, Rome.

This silver medal makes it a record haul of four medals for Ireland in these championships, surpassing the three won in Budapest back in 1998, including two individual golds for Sonia O’Sullivan.

After a thrilling final, it was the star-loaded and formidable Dutch team, with Femke Bol running their anchor leg, who took gold in a European leading time of 3:22.39.

Then came the Irish quartet in 3:22.71, smashing their Irish record of 3:24.38 in the process, with Belgium claiming bronze in 3:22.95.

Poland called on the individual 400m champion Natalia Kaczmarek for their anchor leg, the 26-year-old who denied Adeleke gold on Monday night, but they had to settle for sixth spot.

The Irish quartet, who started in lane six and boasted their strongest four, again delivered in style: Sophie Becker led out the team, running an excellent 52.00, passing the baton to Adeleke, racing for the fourth time in these championships, who clocked the fastest split of the Irish with her 49.36 to take Ireland from fourth to first.

Adeleke handed over to Phil Healy on the third leg, and she clocked 51.51 and held on for second, before Mawdsley, racing for the fifth time this week, anchored the team home with another brilliant split time of 49.84.

For Bol, who on Tuesday night defended her individual 400m hurdles title in a championship record time of 52.49 seconds (also the fastest time in the world this year), there was further incentive as she was part of the mixed relay team that finished third behind Ireland.

Ireland had qualified as fastest of the eight teams, their 3:24.81 just shy of the then 3:24.38 Irish record from the World Relays in The Bahamas last month.

It’s a third European medal this week for the 21-year-old Adeleke, adding to that glittering gold already won in the mixed 4x400m relay last Friday night along with Mawdsley, and her individual 400m silver from Monday night, where she set a stunning national record of 49.07 seconds.

More to follow…