Ireland were crowned European Champions in the 4×400 metre mixed relay in Rome on Friday night in a pulsating final.
The team, consisting of Chris O’Donnell, Thomas Barr, Rhasidat Adeleke, and Sharlene Mawdsley, came into the final as serious medal contenders but few expected such a commanding performance.
Starting with O’Donnell, the Sligo athlete finished his leg in a time of 46.09, handing over the baton in fourth place to teammate Adeleke.
The college track star showed her class as she stormed to the front of the race, giving Thomas Barr a sizeable lead going into the third leg of the race. The veteran produced one his best performances in quite some time as he handed the baton over to Mawdsley in second place after a split of 44.90.
Mawdsley, who has been in red hot form of late, picked her moment to take the lead with 80 metres to go and pulled clear as Ireland crossed the line in 3.09.93, just 1.1 second short of a world record.
“It’s everything to me and everything to the team,” Mawdsley told RTE after the race. “The whole stadium was amazing. The Irish fans turn up every time and it was just super. I did not think we would win, honestly; it’s so amazing. I can’t wait to step up on the podium and hear the national anthem. There will be a few tears.”
“It’s unbelievable, it is everything I ever dreamed of,” said gold medal winner O’Donnell. “When I went into the blocks it felt like I was doing it for the entire country. We’ve been on a journey this team, we were performing miracles making finals.”
And Adeleke continued the sentiments, saying: “It means so much because we knew what we could do as a team. We have worked so hard. I am so grateful to be a part of this and a privilege to be part of this team.”
Barr, who turns 32 this July, has only won one medal previously at the European Championships and admitted he’ll be soaking in every moment.
“I have been around a long time and this is my sixth European Championships and medals don’t come around that often. We knew what we could do coming into this. We knew off the back of the world relays we had a really good shot, not just at a medal but if we really got it right, which we did, we got close to a world record and a gold.
“We took it by storm. This isn’t going to set in for a while but we have to enjoy this because these don’t come around that often. I am a very happy athlete right now.”
The victory is the first European gold Ireland have secured in athletics since Sonia O’Sullivan in 1998.
Earlier in the evening Israel Olatunde ran a season’s best 10.31 to reach to the semi-finals of the 100m.