Sharlene Mawdsley Claims First National Outdoor Title in 200m

Sharlene Mawdsley secured her first outdoor title at the 123.ie National Senior Championships, held at Morton Stadium in Santry, Ireland. The 26-year-old athlete triumphed in the women’s 200m with a time of 23.55 seconds, narrowly defeating Ireland’s sprint hurdles champion, Sarah Lavin, who finished with a time of 23.80 seconds. Lauren Ryan claimed the bronze medal, completing the race in 23.88 seconds.

Reflecting on her victory, Mawdsley expressed her satisfaction with the outcome despite the challenging conditions. “I’m happy with that,” she stated. “I knew today was going to be a really hard task and to come out on top, I’m absolutely thrilled.” The athlete emphasized the mental aspect of her race, noting, “Sarah was ahead of me, and I was just saying to myself, stay calm, stay strong, and dig deep, and thankfully I ended up winning the title.”

The race’s stiff breeze presented difficulties, but Mawdsley was close to achieving a personal best, which she believes will boost her confidence ahead of her next competition on July 16, 2023, where she is set to compete in the 400m in Berne. Following her success in the 200m, she has decided to withdraw from the 400m heats to focus on training in London with her coach.

Mawdsley described her summer training as “mixed,” citing a disrupted training schedule that made her recent success even more significant. “I missed a good block of training and that’s hard to come back from,” she explained. “But the support I’ve had got me through that race today.”

Looking ahead to the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo, Mawdsley hinted at a potential shift in focus. “I haven’t actually decided,” she said regarding the individual 400m event. “I know I won’t say no to the relays; I’m always the first one in, but we’ll see about the individual. It has been a tough year. We’ll see closer to the time.”

In the men’s events, Marcus Lawler claimed the 200m title with a time of 20.66 seconds, finishing ahead of Darragh McConville (21.41 seconds) and Adam Murphy (21.51 seconds). David Kenny won the men’s 10,000m walk, clocking in at 39:39.93, while Kate Veale secured victory in the women’s 5,000m walk with a time of 23:46.46, marking her tenth national title at that distance.

Additional champions included Abbie Sheridan in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase, Eric Favours in the men’s shot put, and Niamh Fogarty in the women’s shot put. Conor Cusack triumphed in the javelin, while Aoife O’Sullivan and Conor Penney won the high jump titles.

As the championships progress, Sarah Healy has emerged as a strong contender in the women’s 800m, dominating the heats in preparation for the final on Sunday. In the men’s 800m, both Mark English and Cian McPhillips advanced smoothly through the heats, setting the stage for an exciting showdown in the final.

Mawdsley’s victory and the results from the championships highlight the competitive spirit and talent present in Irish athletics as athletes prepare for international challenges.