LAST UPDATE | 11 May

THE IRELAND WOMEN’S 4x400m relay team have booked their ticket to the 2025 World Athletics Championships after winning their heat in qualifying round two at the World Athletics Relays in China. 

The quartet of Sophie Becker, Rhasidat Adeleke, Rachel McCann, Sharlene Mawdsley clocked a time of 3:24.69 to win the second heat, with the first three of each heat qualifying for the World Athletics Championships later this year in Tokyo.

Starting in lane seven, Becker began brilliantly, releasing the baton to Adeleke in first place. She maintained that position as McCann took over in lap three. Australia took over coming into the final stretch, but Mawdsley produced a blistering finish on the final leg to secure the victory for Ireland.

All four ran superb times, with Mawdsley clocking 50.01 at the finish line. Adeleke passed the baton in 50.38 while Becker and McCann ran 52.89 and 51.41 respectively.

“I’m just so relieved,” Becker told Athletics Ireland after the race. “It was a great boxed ticked yesterday getting the mixed qualified and now to come out here and get two relays qualified for Tokyo is such a relief. Just exciting to see how the summer goes now.

Adeleke added that they have “solidified ourselves as one of the best relays in the world. We’re just continuing that. Throughout the season, we’re going to get more opportunities to compete and I’m just really excited to see what we can do at World Championships.”

McCann said that this was her second relay race, and wanted to produce a big performance. Mawdsley complimented her teammates for putting her in a strong position coming into the final leg.

“It was a smart run and I’m really happy to be getting that experience in so early in the season.

“I don’t want what happened in Paris to happen again. It’s all about learning and I’m looking forward to the rest of the summer.”

Yesterday, the team of Becker, Phil Healy, Lauren Cadden and McCann fell just short of automatic qualification for the World Athletics Championships after finishing third with a season’s best time of 3:30.06.

Mawdsley and Adeleke switched over from the mixed relay team today having already helped steer that team into the final of their event.

The men’s 4x400m were also in action in the qualifying round today but missed out on earning World Athletics Championships qualification following their seventh-place finish in the final heat.

The team of Conor Kelly, Cillín Greene, Christopher O’Donnell, Jack Raftery ran a time of 3:04.42, with the top three from each heat progressing to Tokyo.

Kelly started in the inside lane and handed the baton to Greene in eighth place on the changeover. O’Donnell edged into seventh as he took over for the third lap but Ireland were unable to make up the ground as O’Donnell remained in seventh on the final leg.

The mixed 4x400m relay team finished today’s final in eighth place as the quartet of Jack Raftery, Phil Healy, Aaron Keane and Lauren Cadden clocked a time of 3:19.64.

Having already secured World Championships qualification, Ireland made some changes to the line-up for today’s final. Mawdsley and Adeleke switched over to the women’s 4x400m team while Kelly and Greene ran in the men’s team in their respective qualifying round heats.

Written by Sinead Farrell and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.