Being part of the 4x400 mixed relay team that reached a final in Tokyo was the start of "something special" for Irish athletics, says Sophie Becker, who again will run in the relays at the Paris Olympics, as well as competing individually in the 400m.
Friday evening sees the opening round of the mixed relay, with Becker in a squad that includes Sharlene Mawdsley, Chris O'Donnell, Thomas Barr and Rhasidat Adeleke, though the latter is unlikely to run in the event.
The heats of the 400m take place on Monday morning next, while there is also the women's 4x400m relay to look forward to.
Becker is relishing the opportunity to compete at a second Games, after a somewhat anxious build-up.
"I feel like it's only now I'm actually starting to look forward to it because it’s just been a very stressful run-up to it," she told RTÉ Sport.
"For myself, waiting to find out about the individual and then just packing and everything else you have to organise in-between. So now that I’m here and everything’s packed, I’m finally able to relax and really take in what’s about to happen."
Covid restrictions meant that no crowds were present at the Tokyo Games, so Paris 2024 will be a totally different experience, says Becker.
"In a lot of ways, this feels like my first Olympics because it was just so different. Even when I was collecting my kit, it was the full experience, it was a photo-shoot. I got dolled up for it.
"There was the Mics and Medals podcast on, it was a real event. For Tokyo it was literally like 'Here’s your gear'. Obviously you don’t want to give anyone Covid. With it being 100 years [since Ireland first competed in 1924], it's just so special.
"From what everyone is saying, the whole country is going to come to a stop and obviously feeding from Worlds last year, Indoors and Europeans, there’s a really good story unfolding and people are following along. I’m glad I’ve had my first Olympics.
"I know what to expect, in some regard, but in a lot of different ways this is just so different. The excitement is definitely there. I’m not tired of the fact that this is my second Olympics."
Ireland will have a full quota of competitors in the 400m; Adeleke and Mawdsley complete the trio. Becker secured the European Championships' qualification standard for the distance when running a personal-best time of 51.13 at the Belfast Irish Milers meet in May.
She could then dare to dream of making the cut in the individual event.
"Obviously, that was the goal from the start of the season, it was to qualify on the relay panels and individually," she said.
"But my indoor season did not go to plan at all and I was a bit worried coming into the outdoor season. Was the indoor season a good reflection of where I’m at?
"Obviously it wasn’t. I went away in April and got a really good three weeks of camp and came back, ran that race in Belfast and I was like, 'OK this is on now'.
"I was chasing times definitely across Europe up until Europeans. You kind of have to make the decision I suppose, either you train through it or you chase times. I had to chase times.
"I don’t regret making that decision, it got me here. Yeah, definitely come the Nationals I was kind of feeling the stress of the whole thing."
A week after Santry, Becker was notified that she had made the cut, placing 46th in the 48-athlete list issued by World Athletics.
On the back of World and European relay success, with Becker part of the squad that took home a silver in the women's 4x400m in Rome, allied with Rhasidat Adeleke and Ciara Mageean medalling in their individual events, Irish athletics is continuing to blossom.
Becker is not not surprised that the Irish will have the full quota of 400-metre runners in the French capital.
"It just is a reflection of where we’re at at the minute," she said.
"I don’t think that I’m shocked that there are three Irish women qualified. We had a 4x400 that was second at Europeans that would tally with three of us being in the quota spot so yeah it’s a really exciting time for 400m running in Ireland."
How the silver was won in Rome
Ireland's women's 4x400m relay team of Sophie Becker, Rhasidat Adeleke, Phil Healy and Sharlene Mawdsley have secured a silver medal at the European Championships in a new Irish record time of 3:22.71. pic.twitter.com/6jTiX7zJok
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) June 12, 2024
All in all, it's progression from what was achieved in Tokyo.
Leaps forward that Becker did not see coming.
"I think we knew that was the start of something special [in Tokyo]. It was really exciting but for it to be where it is now, I don’t think any of us could have foreseen that.
"It is a credit though to everyone doing 400m at the minute. I think that relay to be honest is what really spurred people on. We saw you can make an Olympic final, you can make a world final by being on a relay team and for a lot of athletes maybe that’s not possible individually but it is absolutely possible on the relays. So we have to give a lot of thanks to the relay in Tokyo for that.
"And the other thing is no-one is safe. We see how much that team has changed since Tokyo, its constantly revolving with different relay members, which is exciting, it keeps you on your feet, you can’t become complacent, definitely not."
Qualifying for the 400 individual is definitely a boost ahead of the relay challenges, says the Raheny Shamrocks runner, who feels that improved times will be posted at the Olympic Stadium.
"I don't know what the stats are but I would say there are not too many countries that have all three quota spots used up for 400m. That time that we ran in Rome to come second, that’s a world-class time.
"I haven’t looked back on it but looking at tweets and stuff, people were saying it would have medalled at so many different world and Olympic finals so that’s really reassuring going into it. Three girls in the individual, who knows where it's going to take us. There will definitely be PBs in everything so I think that can only help with our confidence going into the mixed relay."
So what's possible then in the latter event?
Again, another positive response from the 27-year-old.
"Nobody wants to jinx it or nobody wants to get ahead but I think if you look at the facts; we're second at Europeans, we have three women in the individual, we have a really strong panel of girls as well. Obviously we’re expecting, well we’re hoping to make the final. I think I can say we’d be disappointed if we didn’t make the final. And then if you’re in the final, anything can happen.
"Again, looking at the time we ran, there’s not many countries that have run faster than that. I don’t want to say it, but you can kind of work it out for yourself. We would definitely be in the running for a medal anyway, definitely in the top four or five teams that will be fighting for it."
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