DAY 1 MORNING SESSION: RELAY TEAM THUNDER INTO WORLD FINAL
Team Ireland have hit the ground running on the first day of the World Athletics Championships in Budapest with the mixed 4x400m team of Jack Raftery, Sophie Becker, Christopher O’Donnell, and Sharlene Mawdsley securing their place in this evening’s final with a brilliant 3:13.90 season’s best.
Raftery lead the team out on the opening leg before smooth handovers to Becker and O’Donnell placed Ireland in 7th position heading into the final leg. It was from there that Mawdsley produced the fastest last leg of the race to move Ireland from 7th to 4th which would ultimately see the team book their place in another major relay final as one of the fastest non-automatic qualifiers.
It continues a remarkable run for the mixed relay team who also competed in the final at the World Championships in Oregon last year, as well as the Olympic final in Tokyo.
Speaking after the race Sharlene Mawdsley said: “It was a bit of a waiting game to see if we made it, but we’re through and that’s the most important thing. We all ran amazing legs and I’m really proud of us all as a team. We’re going to soak up being in the final this evening and we’ll give it our all again to go run faster and hopefully get close to the national record”.
The team will return for the final later this evening which is set for 8.49pm Irish time.
Away from the exploits of the relay team, Ciara Mageean (City of Lisburn AC) and Sarah Healy (UCD AC) confidently progressed to the semi-final of the women’s 1500m. Healy was first to secure her qualification, crossing in 4:03.00 Q for 3rd place in the second heat, while Mageean also crossed in 3rd place in the final heat in 4:03.52 Q.
Sophie O’Sullivan (Ballymore Cobh) signed off her final international appearance of the summer with a five-second personal best of 4:02.15 pb, gaining some hugely valuable senior championship experience in the process. The European u23 gold medallist left everything out on the track to finish eight in a blisteringly fast heat, just two places off qualifying for the next round at her first World Championships.
Kate O’Connor (Dundalk St Gerards AC) opened her championships in stunning fashion in the women’s heptathlon, claiming a lifetime best in of 13.37 in the 100m hurdles. O’Connor followed up with a 1.80m season’s best clearance in the high jump which was just one centimetre off her lifetime best. The Commonwealth Games silver medallist returns to action later this evening for the shot put (6.05pm) and 200m (7.30pm).
Irish shot put record-holder Eric Favors (Raheny Shamrock) bowed out of his second World Championships with a best of 19.65m for 23rd place. Favors would have needed to throw a new national record of 20.74m to make this evening’s final but the Raheny athlete can take much heart from a consistent round of throws which also included a 19.34m and 19.52m.
Athletes in the men’s 20km walk were most impacted by this morning’s thunderstorm delay, all having to push back race preparations by two hours. Ireland’s David Kenny was unfortunately forced to pull up heading into the final stages of the race but the Farrranfore Main Valley athlete is sure to come back even stronger on the road to Paris 2024. The medals went to Álvaro Martin (ESP) 1:17:32 WL, Perseus Karlstrom (SWE) 1:17:39 NR, and Caio Bonfin (BRA) 1:17:47 NR.
Day 1 Morning Results Summary
- David Kenny – Men’s 20km Race Walk – DNF
- Eric Favors – Men’s Shot Put – Qualification – 19.65m
- Kate O’Connor – Women’s Heptathlon 100m Hurdles – 13.57 PB
- Mixed 4x400m Relay – Round One – 3:13.90 SB q
- Kate O’Connor – Women’s Heptathlon High Jump – 1.80m SB
- Ciara Mageean – Women’s 1500m – Round One – 4:03.52 Q
- Sarah Healy – Women’s 1500m – Round One – 4:03.00 Q
- Sophie O’Sullivan – Women’s 1500m – Round One – 4:02.15 PB
Day 1 Evening Session
Today’s evening session will see Andrew Coscoran (Star of the Sea AC), Luke McCann (UCD AC), and Nick Griggs (Candour Track Club) take their places in round 1 of a stacked looking men’s 1500m from 6.02pm.
Coscoran broke his own Irish 1500m record with a sensational performance at the Silesia Diamond League meeting earlier this season, finishing fourth in a world class field in 3.30.42. The Balbriggan athlete will have sights firmly set on making the 1500m final set for Wednesday evening.
Luke McCann boasts a personal best of 3:34.76 from indoors and is sure to have another big outdoor performance on the horizon. 18-year-old Nick Griggs, fresh from his superb silver at the European U20 championships, will be looking to gain valuable senior championship experience as he looks to signoff another outstanding season.
Kate O’Connor will be back in heptathlon action from 6.05pm, while the mixed relay team will take their place in the 4x400m final at 8.47pm Irish time.
Day 1 Evening Session – Saturday August 19th
- Nick Griggs – Men’s 1500m – Round One – 18:02 (19:02)
- Luke McCann – Men’s 1500m – Round One – 18:11 (19:11)
- Andrew Coscoran – Men’s 1500m – Round One – 18:29 (19:29)
- Kate O’Connor – Women’s Heptathlon Shot Put – 18:05 (19:05)
- Kate O’Connor – Women’s Heptathlon 200m – Heats – 19:30 (20:30)
- Mixed 4x400m Relay – Final – 20:49 (21:49)
NOTES