RHASIDAT ADELEKE SAID there’s more to come from Ireland’s brilliant relay team after tonight’s stunning silver medal in the women’s 4x4oom final at the European Championships.
The Irish team set a new national record time of 3:22.71 to take silver at the Stadio Olimpico, as the defending European champion Dutch team won gold.
Adeleke, a gold medal winner in last Friday’s mixed 4x400m final, had Ireland in pole position with a stunning second leg, her split of 49.36 the second fastest across the race.
“It was so exciting,” Adeleke told RTÉ.
“Just to be out there with the girls, I love running the relays because it’s just so fun. We were in the tunnel cracking jokes and having the best time ever (before the race). So just to be out here, regardless of how we did, and on top of that to win the medal, it just couldn’t be better.
“I’m so proud of them and I’m proud of everyone, the two subs, the coaches, everyone back in Ireland, everyone who came to support us, it all makes us happy.”
“I honestly can’t believe it,” added Sophie Becker, who was out first for Ireland and ran her leg in 52 seconds.
Ireland’s Sophie Becker, Rhasidat Adeleke, Phil Healy and Sharlene Mawdsley are a mix of exaltation and exhaustion after their superb second place in the women's 4x400m relay final at the European Championships. pic.twitter.com/FQmN6VmMXk
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) June 12, 2024
“I’m so proud of these girls, I love you, I’m speechless! This is everything we dreamed of. 3:22, when the national record was 3:26 honestly I thought we’d never break that, and here we are two years on, 3:22, I cannot believe it.
“The crowd, the Irish here when they called us coming in, it’s just everything I’ve dreamed of.”
The silver represents the first senior medal of Phil Healy’s career. The Cork athlete ran 51.51 on one of the greatest nights of her career, having previously considered retirement.
“I knew I was going to get it in a great position with Rhasidat going before me, and I just wanted to lead it from the front,” Healy said.
This is just massive. It’s the stuff of dreams and what we trained for. This is so, so special.
“I definitely contemplated retiring last summer many, many times and I stuck with it. It makes it all worth it for special moments like this and obviously I’m the oldest member of this relay team.
“I remember back to my first senior championships in 2014 and that’s a long time ago. Year after year competing on the stage and it’s my first major medal so it’s very special and makes the last few tough years so worthwhile.”
A thrilling final leg saw Mawdsley chase down Femke Bol. The Tipperary runner’s 49.84 was faster than Bol’s 50.45 and ensured Ireland finished ahead of the chasing pack to finish second, a result which now makes this Ireland’s most successful European Championships.
“Honestly it’s amazing,” said Mawdsley. “I’m absolutely beyond exhausted at this point. I was telling myself the whole warm-up that it was just one more lap but the girls got me through that run.
“Honestly I could hear them cheering, I thought maybe I had Femke down the home straight but just the legs were a little bit dead today. But honestly, to win a medal, I’m so thankful we were able to do it with the girls today. The mixed was amazing but there’s something special with this group of girls. Rhasidat said it, we have the best time and like Sophie said, I love them all.”
RTÉ’s David Gillick put it to Adeleke that she is now inspiring kids all across Ireland, after she claimed her third medal of these championships.
“Honestly I don’t realise it until I see the effects of what I do, and that’s the goal. I want to be able to inspire the next generation because it has to start from somewhere and I’m happy for the people who inspired me, so to be able to be like that for other people, that’s my whole goal. And there’s going to be so, so much better to come.”
Adeleke and Mawdsley were part of the mixed relay team that won gold last Friday before Adeleke added silver in Monday’s 400m final.
Becker told her teammates that their achievements earlier in the championships had inspired her to bring more success for the Irish team.
“I hope it doesn’t go unnoticed how much you guys getting that medal [last week] set the tone for the rest of camp,” Becker said.
“I have goosebumps thinking of when you went up to get that medal and the motivation, of course I wanted a gold medal too and now I get to go up with the girls, that motivated the whole camp, Rhasidat’s medal, Ciara’s (Mageen) medal, it’s amazing.
“We brought our make-up bags with us on the off-chance we’d get to use them, so we’ll go back and put on some make-up now and get ready.”
