Name: Sophie Becker
Club: Raheny Shamrocks AC
Event: 400m, Mixed 4x400m and Ladies 4x400m
Personal Best: 51.13
Tokyo Schedule: Sun 14 Sep Heats 11.25am. Semi-Final Tue 4 Sept 1.05pm Final: Thurs 16 at 2.24pm
Background
Sophie Becker came through the juvenile ranks with St Josephs AC in South Kilkenny where she was coached by Pat Power. Throughout her juvenile years she had a lot of success over the shorter sprinting events mostly 100m, while also being a member of a successful club relay (one member of which was Mia Griffin who represented Ireland at Track cycling in the Paris Olympics).
Making the move to Raheny Shamrocks, she is now coached by Gerard O’Donnell and Aideen Sinnott, who coaches so many of our top sprinters who will represent Ireland in Tokyo. For her Olympic year she worked part-time, and this year made the decision to become a full-time athlete.
Her list of major championship appearances is extensive. Becker’s first foray into major internationals came in 2017 when she competed over 400m and the 4x400m relay at the European u23 Championships in Poland. The following year she made her senior European Championships debut as part of the Irish 4x400m relay quartet. Since then, Sophie Becker has maintained a strong relay presence on Irish teams. Individually her 400m career was also taking off: European Indoor and Outdoor Championships along with World Indoor and Outdoor championships all had her name on the start list. She retained her 400m title at this year’s National Championships – marking her 6th national title.
Her Olympic Games debut was in Tokyo in 2021 as part of the 4x400m mixed relay that finished 8th in the final. Returning to Tokyo for the World Championships, it will be a different experience with the stands full of enthusiastic supporters instead of the emptiness of the post covid Olympics.
It wasn’t until 2022 that Becker joined forces with Sharlene Madwsley as part of the relay squads. Since then, she has been an ever-present member of the ladies 4x400m team and plays a part in the mixed relays too. Her individual 400m career saw her take part in the 400m in both the Europeans in Rome and the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024. With representation at all majors, Sophie Becker will make her third world championship appearance in Tokyo and her first at individual level.
International Majors
2017: European Championships u23 Poland 400m H3 8th
