Paris 2024: Ireland agonisingly miss out on relay medal in women's 4x400

Ireland agonisingly missed out on a medal as they set a national record en route to finishing fourth in the women's 4x400m relay final at Paris 2024.

The quartet, made up of Sophie Becker, Rhasidat Adeleke, Phil Healy and Sharlene Mawsdsley, ran a time of 3:19.90 as they missed out on the bronze medal by just 0.18 seconds.

The Irish team qualified automatically for the final on Friday, with Becker, Healy and Mawdsley joined by Kelly McGrory in finishing third in their heat and seventh quickest overall of the finalists in a time of 3:25.05.

Adeleke, who competed alongside the aforementioned trio when Ireland won silver in the European Championships final in June, had confirmed that she would run in the relay final in the wake of her fourth place finish in the individual 400m showpiece, which occurred later on Friday and slotted into the team in place of McGrory.

Lining out in lane four between Belgium and the Netherlands, Becker ran the opening leg and had Ireland sixth on the straight (50.90) before passing the baton to Adeleke, who then surged into second place in a storming run, with a split 48.92.

Healy (50.94) maintained second place for Ireland into the final bend and held her own on the straight, with Netherlands and Great Britain bearing down.

Mawdsley (49.14), celebrating her 26th birthday, ran the anchor leg and was third approaching the final bend but was agonisingly pipped to the bronze medal place on the line by Great Britain, who clocked a national record of 3:19.72

The United States took a dominant gold in a continental record of 3:15.27, with the Netherlands claiming silver in another national record of 3:19.50.

A high-calibre final also saw hosts France post a national best of 3:21.41 back in fifth.

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