WATCH: Sharlene Mawdsley's emotional interview after first race since her father's passing
Sharlene Mawdsley ran a season's best time as she finished third in the 400m in the European Team Athletics Championship in Maribor, Slovenia
Sharlene Mawdsley ran a season's best time as she finished third in the 400m in the European Team Athletics Championship in Slovenia on Saturday evening.
The Newport sprinter was returning to competitive action for the first time since the sudden death of her father Thomas earlier this month.
And the 26-year-old did her father and her family proud as she ran a season's best time of 50.93 to finish third in the 400m.
Mawdsley ran a strong opening half of the race to have the lead coming into the home straight.
The Olympian fought hard in the closing stages but was eventually caught and the Newport woman finished a strong third.
Mawdsley will also run in the 4x400m mixed relay, but she was emotional after running for the first time since losing her father.
Speaking after the event, she said: "Honestly don't even know how I made it around. But ya, a season's best is great, it's just a shame that I didn't come first as I would have loved the top points, but it probably would have taken a PB to do that today.
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"I'm looking forward to cheering on the rest of the team now. It'll be an exciting couple of days.
"I don't really know what my plans are for the next few weeks. Today was just about getting out there and doing my family proud."