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Ireland’s Chris O’Donnell, Rhasidat Adeleke, Sharlene Mawdsley and Tom Barr celebrate winning a gold medal ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy.

Ireland mixed relay team win gold medal at European Athletics Championships

Chris O’Donnell, Rhasidat Adeleke, Thomas Barr and Sharlene Mawdsley stormed to an historic victory in Rome.

IRELAND’S 4x400M MIXED relay team have stormed to a gold medal at the European Athletics Championships in Rome.

Chris O’Donnell, Rhasidat Adeleke, Thomas Barr and Sharlene Mawdsley clocked a time of 3:09.92 after a blistering run at the Stadio Olimpico.

It’s a new national record, championship record, and just over a second outside the world record.

Italy finished second in 3:10.69, while Netherlands were third in 3:10.73.

Screenshot 2024-06-07 at 21.39.37

From Lane 7, O’Donnell made a solid start, before Adeleke powered into the lead with a huge leg. Her split was 49.53.

Barr was overtaken by the Belgian athlete on the third leg, but the Waterford man dug deep at his sixth European Championships to run 44.90.

And Mawdsley stormed to victory with a sensational split of 49.40, separating herself from the Belgian, Italian and Netherlands teams — with Dutchwoman Femke Bol running the fastest female leg behind her and Adeleke — to secure a famous gold medal.

It’s a first European Athletics Championships gold medal for Ireland since Sonia O’Sullivan in 1998 (5,000m and 10,000m) — and second ever.

USA hold the 4x400m mixed relay world record of 3.08.80.

Everything we dream of. We won the European Championships!” the Irish team reflected afterwards. You can read the full interview with David Gillick for RTÉ here.

Earlier this evening, Israel Olatunde booked his place in tomorrow’s 100m semi-final with a season’s best time of 10.31. He qualified as the eighth fastest overall and bids to make back-to-back European Championship finals tomorrow evening.

Eric Favors posted a best of 19.60m in the men’s shot put, which was just two places off progressing to tomorrow’s final, and Jodie McCann clocked a new persona best of 15:29.25 to finish 17th in the 5000m on her senior championship debut.

This morning, Ciara Mageean and Sarah Healy advanced to the 1500m finals but Mark English didn’t go through in the 800m.

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