'I'm not sure where I go from here,' Tipperary's Sharlene Mawdsley in emotional post
The Newport AC athlete is heartbroken
"This one hurts," says Tipperary athlete Sharlene Mawsdley after Team Ireland's fourth place finish in the 4x400m women's relay final on Saturday night.
The team's remarkable time of 3.19.90 would have been enough for silver in every Olympic final apart from 1988.
The Irish team came so close as Mawdsley's anchor leg came up just short on the line with the Great Britain and Netherlands team pipping her at the line for second and third, as the US team stormed to the gold medal.
Sharlene says: "It was a historical race.
"Trying to find the positives that I ran my fastest ever time, 49.14 for my individual split - showing I am in the best shape, but it feels so bittersweet knowing it wasn’t enough to secure that medal.
"I’m not sure where I quite go from here right now, but I wanted to thank every person for there lovely words of support for me and the girls.
"This team wouldn’t be the same without all of the support we receive from home, so a special thank you to everyone for this."
In what was a magnificent run overall, the quartet of Rhasidat Adeleke, Phil Healy, Sophie Becker, and Mawdsley, clocked an astonishing national record of 3:19.90, obliterating the previous national record of 3:22.71.