It used to be that all Irish relay teams travelled to every championship, in hope more than expectation, relying on some good luck too and any extra jeopardy that comes with the sometimes perilous baton exchanges.
Things slowly and then suddenly changed, and there are now high expectations for the Irish teams competing at this weekend’s World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China. The women’s and mixed 4x400m teams are chief among them, with Rhasidat Adeleke set to play another starring role, just as she did last year.
Remember, Adeleke first made a name for herself as part of the 4x100m relay team that won bronze at the European Youth Olympics back in 2017, and then 4x100m silver a year later at the World Under-20 Championships.
At 22, the Dubliner has since been shattering Irish records at every distance up to 400m, which is now her specialist event.
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Guangzhou presents the latest opportunity for Adeleke to show her pure talent and class in one-lap running. She’s joined by three other members of the women’s 4x400m who finished a close fourth at the Paris Olympics, just .18 of a second away from bronze, with Sharlene Mawdsley, Sophie Becker, and Phil Healy also all listed for the mixed 4x400m.
The 14-strong Irish team also includes a men’s 4x400m relay, which features Chris O’Donnell from Sligo, also part of the mixed 4x400m team who won gold at the European Championships in Rome last June. Thomas Barr, part of that mixed relay gold quartet in Rome, has since retired.
What exactly is at stake in Guangzhou?
The World Athletics Relays have been staged in various guises over the years. There are six events in all, including the addition of the new mixed 4x100m relay, and – as well as the championship medals and prize money – the top 14 teams in each event will qualify for the World Championships in Tokyo in September (except for the mixed 4x100m which is not yet a major championship event, but will be in the LA Olympics).
There are two chances at Tokyo qualification. On Saturday, the top two teams in each of the four heats will advance to the final on Sunday while also securing their qualification for Tokyo.
All other teams will compete on Sunday in the additional repechage round where the top two in each of the three heats will also qualify for Tokyo.
After the top 14 teams are known, the remaining two places in each event will be awarded based on top lists during the qualification period.
What will the competition be like?
The final entries list 730 athletes (406 men and 324 women) from 43 national federations, including 33 medal winners from the Paris Olympics and 34 medal winners from the 2023 World Championships.
Multiple World and Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is entered, alongside her fellow Jamaican and two-time world 200m champion Shericka Jackson, world 800m champion Mary Moraa of Kenya, world 400m record-holder Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa, and all four members of Canada’s Olympic gold medal-winning 4x100m team from Paris.
At last year’s World Athletics Relays in the Bahamas, Adeleke played a major role in Ireland qualifying a women’s 4x400m and mixed 4x400m for last year’s Olympics, running sub-50 second splits on the second leg in both events.
Ireland won their heats in both the women’s and mixed 4x400m relay, Adeleke also running the second leg in the mixed 4x400m final in which the team claimed bronze, her 48.45 seconds the fastest 400m split time in the event.
In the mixed relay final last year, USA won gold ahead of the Dutch quartet, anchored by their superstar Femke Bol. This time the Netherlands haven’t entered a women’s or mixed 4x400m, relying it seems on those last ranking qualification spots instead, which presents the Irish teams with the opportunity to move further up the podium.
How are the Irish quartets likely to line-up?
Since Paris, Mawdsley, Becker and O’Donnell have joined Adeleke on the top Sport Ireland grant amount of €40,000, more evidence of the greater expectation on the relay teams. Becker hasn’t raced competitively since the Olympics, where it turned out she was carrying a stress fracture in her foot.
The women’s 4x400m quartet clocked their Irish record of 3:19.90 in Paris, and will likely keep the same running line-up in Guangzhou; Becker, to Adeleke, to Phil Healy, with Mawdsley on the anchor leg. That was the same line-up that won silver at the European Championships in Rome last June.
With Barr retired, the mixed 4x400m line-up is a little less certain. Barr was on board when they clocked their Irish record of 3:09.92 to win gold in Rome, O’Donnell running the first leg, Adeleke the second, and Mawdsley the fourth.
Cillín Greene, also part of the mixed 4x400m team that won bronze last time out in the Bahamas, is likely to feature again this time, with teenager Conor Kelly also in contention.
What about the prize money?
The top eight teams in each event get something, with $40,000 for the winners, $20,000 for second, $10,000 for third, down to $2,000 for eighth. The prize money for the mixed 4x100m begins at $28,000.
Do the men’s 4x400m relay have a chance of making Tokyo?
It won‘t be near as straightforward as the other two events, but there is potential here too, with O’Donnell likely to be joined by Jack Raftery, Marcus Lawler and Callum Baird. Though qualifying three relay teams for Tokyo might actually exceed expectations.
The World Athletics Relays will be live streamed on the World Athletics’ website from 12pm to 3pm Irish time on Saturday and Sunday.
