WOMEN’S 4x400m RELAY TEAM MAKE HISTORY QUALIFYING FOR OLYMPIC FINAL

Team Ireland’s women’s 4x400m relay team have made yet more history at these Paris Olympic Games by becoming the first women’s relay team ever to make an Olympic final, qualifying with a third place finish in their heat.

Hurdler Sarah Lavin and 800m athlete Mark English both ran really well placing sixth in their respective semi-finals but missed out on the top places need to make the finals.

Kate O’Connor contested events five and six of the seven event Heptathlon this morning, recording a best of 5.79m in the Long Jump, and a best of 50.36m in her favoured event; Javelin, to see her move up to 14th overall heading into the final event this evening.

Daniel Wiffen made more history becoming the first Irish swimmer ever to compete in the open water marathon swim at the Olympics coming home in 18th place.

In the penultimate round of the women’s singles at Le Golf National Leona Maguire will be frustrated and disappointed with a round of 83 today, with Stephanie Meadow showing improvement heading up the 18th one-over for the day. The lead is still held by Metraux of Switzerland on nine-under through four holes today. More to follow later.

Ireland’s 4x400m Relay team advanced to the final of the Olympic Games in sensational fashion this morning in Paris. Competing in the heats, the Irish quartet of Sophie Becker, Phil Healy, Kelly McGrory and Sharlene Mawdsley clocked a time of 3:25.05 to finish third, behind winners Jamaica (3:24.92 SB) and the Netherlands (3:25.03) sealing one of the automatic qualification spots on offer.

Wexford’s Becker clocked her fastest ever relay split (50.90) to get the team off to the perfect start, handing the baton off to Bandon’s Phil Healy who maintained Ireland’s place throughout a gutsy leg. Becker’s split was the fastest of all the opening legs by half a second.

Kelly McGrory was next up and the Donegal woman delivered an impressive Olympic debut splitting her fastest ever relay leg, before handing to Tipperary’s Mawdsley who anchored the team home in trademark style.

The Newport AC star produced her now familiar last leg (49.65) once again to ensure the team secured qualification, and a place in history as the first Irish women’s relay team to ever make an Olympic final.

Speaking afterwards the team expressed their delight:

“It’s unbelievable to come away as Olympic finalists. That was the aim coming in here. We knew it was going to be a tough ask with the draw but to come away with an automatic Q, early in the morning, you just can’t ask for more,” Phil Healy said.

“I knew I had to go out hard at the start. We got the baton changed at the same time as the Dutch and then I just wanted to be ahead at the 200m mark, especially when we were getting lined up for Sharlene so I’m just happy with how it went. I knew when I was passing it over to Sharlene that we were going to be in good hands but all the girls ran amazing out there. We got the job done today, it was not an easy task but we did it,” McGrory added.

Sophie Becker was particularly pleased with her split: “I’m absolutely delighted. It was kind of hard running a bit blind, I didn’t know if Jamaica were having a really good or bad run so I just tried to stay up with her. I’m delighted with it. Honestly the repechage really helped with it, I felt really good after my race a few days ago and I was just dying to go again. That result speaks for itself; repechage was a good idea!”Meanwhile, Mawdsley gave her take on the historic effort: “The girls say I always look so controlled on the last leg and I know what I’m doing but every time I’m like ‘will I make my move now or will I go.’ You’re speeding up, slowing down. That’s what we train for, getting used to all of that in training. I trust myself so much in the last 100m of a relay now. I just charge for home.”

Healy concluded with a word on the support:  “The atmosphere was electric and it’s a credit to all the travelling Irish supporters. Rhasidat was right the other day…it does feel like Morton Stadium out there! The roar Sophie got when she was behind the blocks was just unbelievable and the support back home is just crazy. It’s the closest we’ll ever get to a ‘home Games’.”

Elsewhere, Limerick’s Sarah Lavin missed out on a final place in the Women’s 100m Hurdles clocking 12.69, just .07 off her PB from last year, to finish sixth in her semi-final. The Emerald AC athlete was frustrated to clip a hurdle with her trail leg late in the race, but was ultimately proud of how she performed at her second Olympic Games.

“I’m disappointed obviously. Up until the eighth hurdle I did everything I could, couldn’t have any regrets about my push from the start or how I got out but, yeah, I guess the speed we’re travelling at, you have to lift your knees and it’s not very forgiving. 12.69 is not a slow time but I was definitely hoping for more today. It’s a tough one for sure.” she said.

Of her whole experience at these Games Lavin said: “There are components of this experience the last two weeks that have touched me and will stay with me more than a gold medal ever could because of the people you meet and the experiences and the feelings you have and the emotions you have. I’m immensely proud.”

There was disappointment also for Donegal’s Mark English who also finished sixth in his semi-final of the hotly contested Men’s 800m. The Finn Valley AC man went for it with 200m to go but was ultimately passed by a handful of the field in the closing fifty metres.

Reflecting on the race English said: “My approach was to use my superior 400m speed to get out over the first 200m. I think I did that, I was third at 200m and then up to 400m I think I was still third and then at 600m I was first, but the wheels kind of just came off the last 50m.

“It’s not the result I wanted out there today, I wanted to get through. I went for the win in the semi-final, but it just wasn’t my day. I couldn’t have given it anymore and even in the warmup, I did everything and there’s nothing I would change. I was always going to give it my best shot. These opportunities don’t come around too often. I’m not sure I’ll be back at another one but I’ve given it my best shot, I’ve given everything to the sport.”

In the Women’s Heptathlon Kate O’Connor has had a great morning moving up to 14th overall with just the gruelling finale 800m race left to go tonight. The Dundalk woman leaped a best of 5.79m in the Long Jump before delivering a superb throw of 50.36m in the Javelin, to catapult her four places up the leader board.

Team Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen has finished in 18th place in the 10k Marathon Swim at the Paris Olympic Games this morning. Incredibly, Wiffen had never swam a 10k Open Water race before today.

With the iconic Eiffel Tower as the backdrop, completing six laps of the circuit (1.67km loop) between the Pont Alexandre III and the Pont de l’Alma in the River Seine, where swimming at the 1924 Games took place, the Armagh man finished 18th of the 31 man field in just over one hour and fifty-seven minutes (1:57.20).

Wiffen was the fastest of all swimmers who had entered through qualification from the 800m and 1500m pool events, the Armagh ranking as high as 12th place during the first two loops, of the six 1.67km loops.

Hungary took gold and bronze with Kristof Rasovszky (1:50.52) and David Bethlehem (1:51.09) joined by German’s Oliver Klemet (1:50.54) on the podium.

Wiffen leaves Paris as the first Irishman to win a swimming medal at an Olympic Games, claiming Gold in the 800m Freestyle and bronze in the 1500m Freestyle. The twenty-three-year-old has now written more history as the first Irish person to compete in Marathon Swimming at a Games, and the first to compete in two aquatic disciplines at a Games.

Speaking after the race Wiffen said ‘“It’s the worst and best thing I’ve ever done in my life. The reason why it was the worst is because it was the most painful thing I’ve ever done. But, in terms of best, it’s because I’m happy to say I’m an Olympic open-water swimmer, dual-sport athlete, and a contact-sport athlete as well!”

On his overall experience Wiffen said: “Very happy. In the pool I was amazed with myself. I set my sights to be Olympic champion and I’ve done that, and I got a bronze medal as well.”

The Irish pairing of Alice Sharpe and Lara Gillespie will race against 14 teams in the always spectacular and highly entertaining Madison event this afternoon.

The Madison is a relay event race in pairs like a tag team with one rider competing while the other recovers by riding slowly around the top of the track, before the changeover via a ‘hand sling’ from their team-mate. It’s a 120 lap, 30km points race with a sprint every ten laps and the potential to make big points gains by lapping the main group.

Heptathlete Kate O’Connor will complete her historic Olympic campaign tonight with the gruelling 800m finale event, sitting in 14th place overall.

Rhasidat Adeleke will also make history when she becomes the first Irish woman to contest an Olympic 400m final at 7pm Irish time. The 21-year-old from Tallaght takes to the track at the Stade de France aiming to be in the mix, but the task ahead will be the most challenging of her career to date, with a particularly high calibre field vying for podium places.

Swimming, Men’s 10km Open Water, Daniel Wiffen, 18th overall in 1:57.20

ONGOING Golf, Women’s Individual, Round 3, Stephanie Meadow, one-over through 17 holes

Golf, Women’s Individual, Round 3, Leona Maguire, Round of 83, currently 59th overall

Athletics, Women’s Heptathlon, Long Jump, Kate O’Connor, 5.79m (786 points)

Women’s 4x400m Relay, 3rd in heat in 3:25.05,through to final (Sat Aug 10th)

Athletics, Men’s 800m, Mark English, 6th in semi-final in 1:45.97, does not progress

Athletics, Women’s 100m Hurdles, Sarah Lavin 6th in semi-final in 12.69, does not progress

Athletics, Women’s Heptathlon, Javelin Group B, Kate O’Connor, best of 50.36m (867 points) currently 14th overall

5.09pm Track Cycling, Women’s Madison, Lara Gillespie & Alice Sharpe

7.00pm Athletics, Women’s 400m Final, Rhasidat Adeleke

7.25pm Women’s Heptathlon 800m, Kate O’Connor