Irish relay team qualify for world championships after impressive run

The Irish women's 4x400m relay team qualified for the 2025 World Championships after winning the repechage in great style at the World Relays in Guangzhou.

Sophie Becker, Rhasidat Adeleke, Rachel McCann and Sharlene Mawdsley clocked a time of 3:24.69 to earn a spot at Tokyo 2025.

It capped a successful weekend for the Irish squad in China after the mixed relay team qualified for the World Championships on Saturday.

With changes to the lineup from Saturday’s race, Becker led off the women's team with a strong opening leg.

Becker then handed over to Adeleke, who maintained Ireland’s lead despite pressure from the Australian team.

McCann took the baton for the third leg and held the lead until the final changeover, when Australia briefly edged ahead.

As usual, Mawdsley anchored the team and delivered a superb finish, powering ahead in the final 200 meters to clinch a commanding victory for Ireland.

Becker said after the race: “I’m so relieved. I think I speak for all of us when I say that.

"It was great to get the mixed relay qualified yesterday, and now to qualify the women’s team too is a big relief. We’re all really excited for what the summer holds.”

Adeleke added: “We’ve established ourselves as one of the top relay teams globally, and we’re continuing to build on that.

"Now that we’ve qualified, I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can achieve at the World Championships.”

Meanwhile, the mixed 4x400m team of Jack Raftery, Phil Healy, Aaron Keane, and Lauren Cadden placed eighth in their final, having already secured World Championship qualification in Saturday’s heats. They finished with a time of 3:19.64.

The men’s 4x400m team, however, missed out on qualification. Despite a strong start from 17-year-old Conor Kelly and a competitive first half from Cillín Greene, Chris O’Donnell and Jack Raftery were unable to close the gap in the final legs. The team finished seventh in their heat with a time of 3:04.42.

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