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
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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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