The women’s 4x400m relay team, from left, Lauren Cadden, Phil Healy, Sophie Becker and Sharlene Mawdsley after competing in the women’s 4x400m relay heats during day five of the 2024 European Athletics Championships at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy. Photo: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
© Wexford People
Ballykelly international Sophie Becker ran a successful first leg for the Ireland women’s 4 x 400m relay team in their winning heat at the European Championships on Tuesday morning.
Sophie, a member of Raheny Shamrocks, led the way on 51.64 and was followed by Phil Healy (51.29), Lauren Cadden (52.12) and late call-up Sharlene Mawdsley (49.76), whose superb anchor leg carried Ireland to victory in 3:24.81.
Becker had brought up the rear in her individual 400m semi-final in 51.54, with the race won by Rhasidat Adeleke who went on to capture the silver medal, while Mawdsley also qualified after a fifth-place finish.
She had travelled north for the Belfast Irish Milers’ Meeting at the Mary Peters Track recently, and ran a 400 metres PB of 50.13 seconds.
That gave Sophie a qualifying time for the European Championships.
Myles Hewlett (Kilkenny City Harriers) ran a brilliant 3.52.44 for 1,500 metres. Kilmore’s Fiona Kehoe placed ninth in the women’s elite 1,500 metres, clocking a time of 4.28.7.
Former Menapians AC athlete Aaron Tierney-Smith, now with Clonliffe Harriers, covered the 400 metres in 50.37 seconds.
Meanwhile, DMP’s Claragh Keane is currently on an athletics scholarship at Iona University. Recently, she competed in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), running the 10,000 metres, her first time to run the distance on the track.
She placed third in a new best time of 36.08. As a result of her performance, Claragh was named Female Rookie of the Meet and Female Student Athlete of the Week across all sports in the MAAC.