European Athletics Championships: Another Irish medal as women’s 4x400m relay team take silver to make historic haul

There could be no regret about not winning gold, having been beaten only by the reigning world champions, with the unstoppable Femke Bol of the Netherlands running an anchor leg of measured majesty, controlling things from the front and carrying her country to glory.

But for the Irish, there was justifiable pride, having clocked a blazing 3:22.71 to obliterate the national record of 3:24.38. The Dutch clocked 3:22.39 in first, with Belgium third in 3:22.95. “This is everything we dreamed of: 3:22 and the national record,” said Becker. “I cannot believe it.”

There could be no regret, no shoulda-woulda-couldas or what-might-have-beens. They had produced the best performance ever by an Irish women’s relay team and simply came up against a better team, having produced a performance of remarkable quality.

They were led off by Becker, who clocked a 52.00-second opening leg before handing over to Adeleke in sixth. Adeleke ripped through the opening 200 metres on the second leg, sweeping into second before surging past 400m hurdles medallist Cathelijn Peeters of the Netherlands on the bend, her split of 49.36 putting Ireland in front as Healy took the baton. “I just wanted to make sure I put my team in the best position, my legs are a bit heavy,” said Adeleke.

Healy clocked 51.51 before handing over to Mawdsley in second, the Irish a few metres down on the Dutch as the anchor leg began. Mawdsley played a patient game on the last leg, saving her effort for the home straight, but Bol is an athlete who rarely gets beaten in that position, and despite a fine effort from Mawdsley – and a 49.84-second leg in what was her fifth race in six days – the Tipperary sprinter was unable to close down the Dutch star.

“This is massive, another senior medal – the stuff of dreams,” said Healy, who has come back from an auto-immune condition to rediscover her best form. “There’s so many people who have helped me, I definitely contemplated retiring last summer many, many times, but this makes it all worth it.”

After her fifth race of the week, Mawdsley was a combination of exhausted and elated. “Honestly, it’s amazing,” she said. “I’m absolutely beyond exhausted but I told myself the whole warmup: it was just one more lap. The legs are a little bit dead today but to win a medal, I’m so thankful. There’s something special with this group of girls. I love them all.”

Adeleke beamed with pride after her third medal of the week. “To be out there with the girls, and on top of that to win a medal – I couldn’t be prouder,” she said. “We worked so hard, we really deserved it.”

In 25 previous editions of these championships, across 90 years, Ireland had never won more than three medals, its best previous showing coming in 1998 where Sonia O’Sullivan won double gold over 5000m and 10,000m and Mark Carroll won 5000m bronze. But with the mixed relay gold on Friday, Ciara Mageean’s gold on Sunday, Rhasidat Adeleke’s silver on Monday and this silver, they leave with four.

Elsewhere, Andrew Coscoran finished 13th in the final of the men’s 1500m in 3:34.76, the Balbriggan man surging into contention up the back straight but ultimately not having the legs to match the leaders coming home as Norwegian star Jakob Ingebrigtsen claimed his second gold of the week in 3:31.95.

In the men’s 10,000m, Efrem Gidey was the leading Irish finisher, coming home 12th in 28:16.94, with Brian Fay 20th in 28:40.53, Barry Keane 21st in 28:53.34, Peter Lynch 22nd in 29:02.00 and Cormac Dalton 24th in 29:15.30.