With perhaps a little more fuss and some fury the Irish mixed 4x400m relay finished second in their heat on day one of the World Athletics Relays.
Sharlene Mawdsley produced another sterling anchor leg to help secure their automatic qualification for the World Championships in Tokyo in September.
On a rainy night at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium in Guangzhou, China, securing qualification for Tokyo was the priority of the Irish mixed quartet, who will now contest Sunday’s final with medals and prize money on the line.
The team included three members of the quartet that won bronze in last year‘s World Relays in the Bahamas, Rhasidat Adeleke once again producing a brilliant run on the second leg, the 22-year-old moving Ireland from fourth to second behind the USA.
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Cillín Greene lost a little ground on the third leg, Ireland left chasing the USA and Poland, Germany also close in fourth, before Mawdsley once again proved her value to the team, moving into second around the final bend to get past Poland and ensure the second-place finish.
The USA won in 3:11.37, ahead of Ireland’s 3:12.56, Poland third in 3:12.70.
After a midafternoon downpour, the rain had eased off by the time the relay heats got under way. With 17-year-old Conor Kelly running the first leg – his senior outdoor debut – Ireland were always in contention, Adeleke taking up the baton in a close fourth although the changeover wasn’t the smoothest.
Guangzhou presented two chances of Tokyo qualification. After a re-draw of the heats on Friday night, the top two in each of the mixed heats were automatic, plus the two best-placed teams thereafter. The remaining teams go through to the repechage round on Sunday, where the top two in each of the three heats will also qualify for Tokyo.
After the top 14 teams are known, the remaining two places in each event for Tokyo will be awarded based on top lists during the qualification period.
The mixed relay was the first of three Irish teams in action on day one in Guangzhou, and started heat two ranked third fastest of the seven starting teams. Ireland’s 3:09.92, set in winning European gold in Rome last June, only marginally slower that Poland (3:09.87). The USA topped the list with 3:07.41.
Mawdsley called on all her experience in racing past Poland’s Justyna Swiety Ersetic on the last leg, and it‘s likely Ireland will start with a different line-up in Sunday’s final. Belgium won the first heat in 3:11.83, with Team GB winning the third heat in 3:13.28.
Ireland’s 3:12.56 ranks them fourth of the eight finalists.
“I was actually quite happy I got the baton in third, I had something to work towards,” said Mawdsley after the race. “Top two was auto Q and I ticked the box and I was put in such a great position. I was delighted to overtake on the bend and hold on to second.”
Adeleke added: “I was making sure I put the team in the best position,” she said. “It‘s definitely still early in the season for me, but I’m really excited to be here and we have our qualification for Tokyo, that‘s what we came here for. I’m really proud of the team.
“It‘s always an honour to represent team Ireland and putting on that vest just has so much to it. I hope we can come back here tomorrow and do the same thing.”
Ireland’s two other relay interests in Guangzhou will have to rely on Sunday’s repechage round if they are to earn their Tokyo qualificatio, the women’s 4x400m team falling just short of an automatic spot in finishing third in their heat.
Running in the third and final heat, the quartet of Sophie Becker, Lauren Cadden, Rachel McCann and Phil Healy clocked 3:30.06, just outside the top two automatic spots claimed by South Africa (3:28.01) and Germany (3:28.63). The two best-placed teams outside the top-two finishers also advanced straight to the final, and Tokyo qualification, but Ireland ended up ranked 11th best.
Cadden took up the baton in second, chasing South Africa, but was passed by Germany, with Healy keeping that position until the end. Great Britain, who beat Ireland to the Olympic bronze medal in Paris by .18 of a second, will also go in the repechage round.
It is now expected that Mawdsley and Adeleke will join the women’s 4x400 on Sunday to maximise their chances of getting to Tokyo, given the mixed team has already qualified. In Sunday’s repechage round, the top two in each of the three heats will also qualify for Tokyo
In the men’s 4x400m event, Ireland’s Chis O’Donnell, Callum Baird, Marcus Lawler and Jack Raftery ran in the second of four heats. Only the top two finishers were guaranteed of Tokyo qualification, with Ireland unable to get themselves in contention, finishing sixth in 3:05.47.
