Mawdsley helps Ireland to double Relay progression

Sharlene Mawdsley’s proficiency in relay competitions continued as she helped Ireland's mixed and women's 4x400 metres relay teams to qualify for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September.

At the World Relay Championships in Guangzhou, China on Saturday it was a case of "job done" for the mixed team of Conor Kelly, Rhasidat Adeleke, Cillin Greene, and Mawdsley, who ticked off World Championship qualification in impressive fashion.

Racing in a competitive heat alongside the USA, Kelly exploded from the blocks with a strong opening leg before passing the baton to Rhasidat Adeleke. The Tallaght sprinter delivered a composed 400 metres, smoothly moving Ireland into contention before handing off to Cillín Greene, who held firm to keep the team in a strong position heading into the final leg.

The task of securing a top two finish once again fell to the seasoned anchor leg specialist Sharlene Mawdsley, who took the team home in second place in a time of 3:12.56 behind the USA, who posted the fastest heat time of 3:11.37.

“I was happy to get the baton in third as I had something to work towards,” Mawdsley said, adding: “knowing the top two was an auto qualification spot, so we’ve ticked the box. I was put in a great position, and I was delighted to overtake on the bend and hold to clinch that second place”.

The Newport AC athlete then diverted her attentions towards the women's 4x400m team on Sunday and the quartet also included Sophie Becker, Adeleke and Rachel McCann.

After narrowly missing out on automatic qualification in Saturday’s heats, the team bounced back emphatically, dominating their repechage race to secure their place at Tokyo 2025 with a winning time of 3:24.69.

Mawdsley once again anchored the team and timed her finish perfectly, kicking in the last 200 metres to seal victory with a commanding fifteen-metre lead at the line.

The World Championships in Tokyo will be held from September 13-21.