Kelly McGrory gets the nod to lead out Ireland in bid for Olympic final place

Kelly McGrory will run the first leg for Ireland in the Women's 4 x 400m Relay heat at the Olympic Games in Paris, which takes place tomorrow morning. 

With the quartet and running order confirmed tonight, the Tír Chonaill AC member will lead out the Irish team, followed by Phil Healy and Sophie Becker, with Sharlene Mawdsley to undertake the final lap. Rhasidat Adeleke will concentrate her focus on the 400m final at 7pm.

Ireland are in the second of the two heats, which get underway at 9:40am at the Stade de France. They compete against India, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Canada and Jamacia. The first heat is made up of Switzerland, Cuba, Belgium, Norward, USA, Great Britain, France and Spain. The first three in each heat qualify for the final, as do the next two fastest.

McGrory, 27, is a five-time Irish 400m hurdles champion who moved to 11th on the Irish all-time 400m flat list in May with an impressive 52.62 performance in Brussels. She was part of the Women's 4x400m relay team who sensationally made the final at the World Championships in Budapest last year. The Laghey native ran a 400m hurdles personal best of 57.10 in the heats of the European Championships this year.

Ireland's women's 4x400m relay team of Becker, Adeleke, Healy and Mawdsley secured a silver medal at the European Championships in a new Irish record time of 3:22.71 seconds at Romen's Stadio Olympico in June.