Team Ireland has come third in the women’s 4 x 400m Relay heat at the Olympic Games, securing their place in the Olympic final.
The team clocked 3:25.05 in this morning’s semi-final.
Sophie Becker (Raheny Shamrock AC) was out in front in the opening leg, handing over to Phil Healy (Bandon AC).
Tír Chonaill AC athlete Kelly McGrory started very strong but lost some ground in the third leg.
Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport AC) picked it up to anchor the team home.
Kelly is the daughter of Mary and Gregory McGrory and is a five-time Irish 400m hurdles champion who moved to eleventh on the Irish all-time 400m flat list in May with an impressive performance in Brussels. She was part of the Women’s 4x400m Relay team who sensationally made the final at the World Championships in Budapest last year. She ran a 400m hurdles PB of 57:10 at Europeans this year.
Kelly has a sports science degree from DCU, is based in Limerick where she works for Irish Wheelchair Association Sport, and trains in the same sprints group as her partner Thomas Barr.
Letterkenny’s Mark English is in action shortly in the men’s 800m semi-final.
