SHARLENE MAWDSLEY WITHDRAWS FROM EUROPEAN ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Sharlene Mawdsley of Ireland has withdrawn from the European Athletics Championships after failing to recover from a hamstring injury. The injury was sustained during the 200m race at Ireland's National Championships on 25 July at Santry, which was won by Rhasidat Adeleke. Mawdsley was scheduled to compete in the individual 400m and the women's 4x400m relay at the championships, which began on Monday and run until 16 August in Birmingham.

In a statement, Mawdsley said her team had made substantial progress following her hamstring tear diagnosis but that "the timing just wasn't on my side". The Tipperary athlete stated she had "pushed the limits" in her attempted recovery and thanked her support team for working "around the clock" to give her a chance to compete. Mawdsley was part of the Irish relay team that won silver at the European Athletics Championships two years ago in Rome.

Mawdsley stated she would continue working towards recovery and expressed her intention to return to competition later in the season. Her withdrawal removes one competitor from Ireland's team at the championships.