IRELAND’S GOLD MEDAL heroes took centre stage on the European Championships’ winners’ podium as they were presented with their mixed 4×400 relay medals.
Thomas Barr, Rhasidat Adeleke, Sharlene Mawdsley and Chris O’Donnell wrote their names in the history books with a time of 3:09.92 in a blistering run at the Stadio Olimpico last night.
It was 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 and the new European champions reflected on their achievement after the medal ceremony in Rome earlier today.
Who is cutting those onions again 😭😭
— Athletics Ireland (@irishathletics) June 8, 2024
The pride 😍🇮🇪@ChrisOD400 🥇@TomBarr247 🥇@sharlenem229 🥇@rhasidatadeleke 🥇#IrishAthletics pic.twitter.com/exIhW8inyl
“Unbelievable. I thought my days of standing on podiums were possibly over, but with the help of this team we managed to get to the top of the podium to hear Amhrán na bhFiann ringing out throughout the stadium with heavy, heavy gold medals around our necks, calling ourselves European champions, that’s not going to get old,” Barr said after the medal ceremony today.
Adeleke paid tribute to her mother, Ade, and the support the team has received.
“She’s so proud. I’m so happy to have her out here supporting the whole way through. Pretty much everyone else out here supporting us, just having everyone out here, and cheering us on outside the track, on the track, it just brings us so much motivation and it gives us hopes for the rest of the championships. This is a very good starting point and having everyone here supporting us shows how far we can go.”
O’Donnell described standing on the podium as “awesome stuff, the stuff of dreams”, while Mawdsley added: “Once Ireland is here they always show up so to step on the podium in first place and hear the cheer when Ireland were announced as winners was something special. I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.”
