WATCH: Superb Mawdsley Secures Women's 4x400m 2027 Worlds Qualification

It was a weekend of blistering heat and mixed fortunes for Team Ireland at the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone, Botswana. With World Championship qualification on the line, Sunday served as the "second chance" saloon for teams looking to secure their place at the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing.

While it wasn't to be for two of our squads, the weekend ended on a transcendent high thanks to a masterclass in anchor-leg running from Newport’s Sharlene Mawdsley.

The Heartbreak: Mixed 4x400m and Women’s 4x100m

Earlier in the day, the luck of the Irish ran thin for the other two squads in the Olympic qualifying round.

Mixed 4x400m: The team of Jack Raftery, Jenna Breen, Sean Doggett, and Erin Friel (making her senior debut at just 18) fought hard in a stacked field. They ultimately finished 7th in their heat with a time of 3:19.34, falling short of the top-two requirement for automatic Beijing qualification.

Women’s 4x100m: After a disappointing DQ on day one, the sprint team of Precious Akpe-Moses, Ciara Neville, Mollie O’Reilly, and Sarah Leahy returned with a point to prove. They clocked a solid 44.24s to finish 4th in their heat, a brave performance yet still short of qualifcation. 

The Glory: Women’s 4x400m Rule the Track

The standout performance of the weekend belonged to the Women’s 4x400m team. Needing a top-two finish in their heat to book their flight to China, the quartet of Rachel McCann, Sophie Becker, Arlene Crossan, and Sharlene Mawdsley delivered a performance for the ages

France had led for much of the race, with Ireland battling in third for long stretches. However, a stubborn third leg from Arlene Crossan kept the girls in green within striking distance. When Mawdsley took the baton for the final 400m, she had work to do. Showing the world-class strength that has become her trademark, Sharlene hunted down the leaders, producing a "cracking" final leg to kick past the field off the final bend.

Ireland didn't just qualify; they won the heat in a superb time of 3:23.83, their fastest time since 2024.

"We're absolutely chuffed," Sophie Becker told Athletics Ireland post-race. "Sharlene and I crunched the numbers last night and we figured if we did what we did yesterday, we’d run 3:23. We did exactly that."

Relive the magic of Sharlene Mawdsley’s incredible final leg below