THERE WAS DISAPPOINTMENT for the Irish team in the Mixed 4x400m relay as they failed to reach the Olympic final at the Stade de France today.
The team of Chris O’Donnell, Sophie Becker, Thomas Barr and Sharlene Mawdsley finished their heat fifth, in a time of 3:12.67.
The heat was won by Great Britain at 3:10.61, followed by the Netherlands (3:10.81) and Italy (3:11.59).
In heat one, the US, France, Belgium, Jamaica and Poland all qualified for tomorrow evening’s final.
O’Donnell was first out for Ireland, running his leg in 45.99. Becker followed with a 51.37 leg before Barr clocked 45.25. Mawdsley then finished strong with 50.06, but it wasn’t enough for Ireland to advance from a stacked field.
“I was happy enough, first leg is all about giving us the best position possible and I just wanted to put us in the mix,” O’Donnell told RTÉ.
We gave it absolutely everything and we came off this track knowing we gave it our all.”
“You kind of forget no heat is easy because it’s the Olympics,” Becker added.
“I think it’s credit to the team and what we’ve built over the last three years that we’re disappointed not to make and Olympic final. Not to say we take it for granted but we know that’s where we belong. The standard is just through the roof. Even compared to Tokyo, it’s just bigger and bigger and harder and harder every year.”
“Looking at all of us running in the team there today, you can’t really pick apart where anything went wrong,” Barr added.
“We did everything we possibly could and before this season, that’s a record-breaking team.
“We are disappointed, we were aiming for that final and I think we’re definitely good enough to be there, which our results have shown this year, but it’s just that on the day it didn’t come together. Every team stepped up, it is the Olympics, but we just fell short today. But it’s a performance and a year of performances that we can be extremely proud of.”
“I said to the guys today, get that baton around because I want to call myself an Olympian, and I did that today,” said Mawdsley.
“I’m proud of this team and the guys back in the warm-up area.”
Earlier, Ireland’s Jodie McCann failed to progress from the heats of the Women’s 5,000m.
The Dublin City Harriers athlete finished 20th in her heat, crossing in 15:55.08.
The first eight from each heat advanced to the final.
Beatrice Chebet of Kenya won the heat in 15:00.73, while Friday’s first heat was won by Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon in 14:57.56.
“Mixed emotions,” McCann told RTÉ.
“I thought the race was going to go a bit slower, but it was setting out fast at the beginning and I was looking at the clock like ok, it was faster than my PB pace, so I just had to be a bit careful.
“It’s a bit tough coming into a race like this where most girls’ PB is like 40 seconds faster than you, so it’s kind of all experience and learning for going forward.
“To get as far as I have, I’ve been racing all year, it’s been a really long one, I’m just really proud of what I’ve achieved and looking forward to the future.
“It’s obviously amazing to be here but my head is already looking towards to next year, trying to make World Champs and how I can keep getting better all the time.”
Earlier, Cathal Doyle, Luke McCann and Andrew Coscoran all failed to progress directly in the 1500m heats. A repechage has been introduced at these Olympic Games, so all three athletes will get another chance in Paris.
In the Men’s Shot Put, Eric Favors finished 27th on his Olympic debut, throwing a best of 19.02m, which was not enough to see him advance to Saturday’s final.
Favors later revealed to RTÉ that he had torn a pec muscle last week, and was also battling a tight hamstring today.
That’s the way it goes sometimes,nothing easy in the Olympics for sure.thanks for giving it yer all
Forget about winning medals and making finals folks (adeleke and maybe mcgeehan) aside. It will be an achievement just to stay competitive in the heats by the looks of it. All our athletes today were tailed off long before the races even got going.
@Ray Ridge: that’s the nature of the beast though. Adaleke probably won’t medal but she’s the only Irish athlete at the moment that may get to elite world standard. Mcgeean is the euro champ and will be very lucky to make the top.10 here. That’s nothing new though, maybe in the last 50 yrs only Sonia or eamon coughlan have come near to that level. The fact is though that every athlete that reaches the Olympics have to reach a certain standard, attain a certain time to qualify. That’s why just being an olympian is held in such high regard
@munsterman: That’s true. I’m disappointed though. I was hoping we had closed the gap but in all honesty bar the likes of Adeleke the gap between our best and worlds best is stagnant at best. Arguably the gap is only getting wider.
@Ray Ridge: yea well European medals aren’t to be sniffed at either. Its all about times at this level & in fairness to adaleke she’s getting there. Like Tom Barr ran in that mixed relay & he didn’t make the qualifying time for his event, the hurdles, that’s what our relay team is up against. Irish male athletics isn’t strong at all
@munsterman: Not sure how it works, but I just seen a heat for the 800 metres and there were a Palestinian girl and another girl and they were 100 metres down after 200 metres. I don’t know what times or qualifications they went through to get to the Olympics but I’d stay their still running tbh. Strangest thing I’ve ever seen.
@Ray Ridge: I don’t know the exact rule but some people that make the B time can get nominated by their country I think. I’m not sure though to be honest though when the national championships were on in sentry they were talking about earning points to qualify aswell
@munsterman: Cheers. Convoluted process, so by all accounts.
@Ray Ridge: we know i cant see any medal in the athletics bar adeleke and she will have to run great to get one
@munsterman: ciara came fourth in the world’s. She will most definitely be in the top 10 and with the right race tactics, very close to medalling.
@Kevin Dillon: I would love to see her medal. She’s tough as nails so hopefully
Nothing to criticise about the individual and collective effort, but I was surprised they were so sanguine when interviewed afterwards x European gold medalists and fastest team this season goes out and they don’t seem particularly surprised or disappointed?
@Lesidees: no adeleke means you’re not getting with an arse’s roar of any top-tier teams.
@Lesidees: Its pretty obvious now that whilst the Irish team were winning all around them earlier in the year, the rest of Europe and the world were timing their peak performances for the Olympics.
@Ray Ridge: athletics and soccer are the real global sports and either the exception of Adeleke we are far from the top table our 1500m runners are 2nd division standard
Way off of what’s required nowadays to medal
@Ray Ridge: absolute nonsense. Nobody and I mean NOBODY, ran their best field today. Not even the Dutch. And if you done your homework ireland wouldn’t have qualified even if adeleke ran her best time which is 1.8secs faster than Becker. This event was always a long shot. Barr isn’t even a 400m flat runner and Becker is a club runner at best.
Very tough olympics level i dont want to be a ridge ray but i cant see any medals on the track mayby the girl in 400 meters least we the swimming gym left for medal not what i taught mayby 8 medals unless rory can do something
Gonna be a grim week on the track for us, I fear.