European Glory! Ireland Soars to Victory in the Inaugural Mixed 4x400m Championship


Ireland, a nation with only one prior European Athletics gold medallist in its 90-year history, etched four more names into the annals of greatness tonight. The quartet of Thomas Barr, Rhasidat Adeleke, Chris O’Donnell, and Sharlene Mawdsley delivered an awe-inspiring performance, seizing victory in the debut of the mixed 4x400m relay at these prestigious championships.


Smashing expectations and setting a new national benchmark of 3:09.92, this magnificent team followed in the footsteps of track legend Sonia O’Sullivan, who claimed three titles at the 1994 and 1998 editions.

Not even the immense prowess of Femke Bol, whose reputation precedes her, could extinguish Ireland’s blazing ambition. Though Bol’s astonishing speed propelled the Dutch team from a distant fourth to bronze, and she clocked the fastest female split time of 49.21, her magic was not enough to snatch gold this time. Unlike her breathtaking 2023 World Championships performance where she delivered gold, the Irish were invincible tonight.



With two brilliant women at the helm, Ireland’s victory was inevitable. Adeleke, a rising 21-year-old prodigy, unleashed a phenomenal burst on the second leg, transforming a fourth-place position into a commanding five-metre lead, clocking 49.53. Mawdsley, recovering from a bitter disqualification at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships, reclaimed her glory, anchoring the team to victory with an assertive final lap of 49.40.



Bol’s late surge saw her edge past Belgium’s Helena Ponette, securing third for the Netherlands in 3:10.73—just a whisker behind Italy’s silver-clinching Alice Mangione, who crossed the line in 3:10.69, setting a national record. Belgium also set their own record, finishing fourth with 3:11.03.

Veteran Thomas Barr reflected on the race with candor: “I think we surprised a lot of people, and even ourselves. But deep down, I knew that if everything aligned perfectly, we could take home gold—and that’s exactly what we did.”


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