New-found belief pushing Sharlene Mawdsley to new heights

Sharlene Mawdsley could be forgiven for being somewhat wary as two Irish teams go in search of Olympic qualification at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas next week.

Among the 893 athletes from 45 countries that will descend on Nassau for the global event on 4-5 May will be an Irish contingent competing in the women's 4x400m and mixed 4x400m.

Team Ireland have selected a team of 11 athletes hoping to make their mark, with the group currently based in Florida before Texas-based Rhasidat Adeleke links in ahead of the championships.

There are 27 entries for the women's event and 30 for the mixed, so Ireland will have to perform well to take the 14 automatic entries on offer in both events.

For the in-form Mawdsley, part of the Irish women’s 4x400m side that claimed fifth at the recent World Indoor Championships, history has taught her to take nothing for granted.

The Tipperary native was part of the mixed 4x400m team that secured qualification in the last Olympic cycle before being cruelly cut before the Tokyo Games.

Mawdsley has outlined the devastation of that decision at the time, but insists it hasn’t put her off the concept.

"Maybe at the time it was a bit raw, but I’m in good shape and I want to do the best I can for the team," she tells RTÉ Sport. "That says a lot about how much I love the relays."

The "good shape" is an understatement. She posted two of the top three splits across the semi-final and final of the relay event in Glasgow and while the individual event ended in disappointment in disqualification, she is piecing together the puzzle to take her performances to new heights.

Gym work and improving her starts have been the focus of attention, yet Mawdsley admits that she has always run freer with the baton in her