Arlene Crossan makes senior bow as Ireland finish sixth in European Indoor final

Arlene Crossan made her senior Irish debut on Sunday evening as the Ireland women’s 4x400m relay team finish sixth at the European Athletics Indoor Championships,

An Irish team shorn of some of its leading lights wasn’t in medal contention at the Omnisport in Apeldoorn.

However, it gave Finn Valley AC’s Crossan a chance to make her competitive bow.

As things transpired, Crossan didn’t just earn a first senior call-up, but now has her maiden run at a major championships behind her, the 25-year-old from Letterkenny having been elevated to the squad following an encouraging National Senior Indoor Championships.

It was fitting that the curtain fell on these Championships to the sound of the boisterous Dutch crowd cheering their women to relay success.

Femke Bol powered around in a 50.42-second anchor to help them to a new national record of 3:24.34. Bol was aided by Lieke Klaver, Nina Franke and Cathelijn Peeters.

Great Britain took second in 3:24.89 with Czechia third in 3:25.31.

The Irish quartet finished in 3:32.72.

Rachel McCann from North Down AC led Ireland off before handing over to Lauren Cadden of Sligo AC.

Cadden passed the baton to Crossan, who ran a 53.45-second leg before Cliodhna Manning of Kilkenny City Harriers had the anchor.

Crossan, who is coached by Shauna Carlin, has been in fine form of late, setting new Donegal records over 400m and 200m. 

Read next: Magnificent Mark English wins brilliant bronze at European Indoors

At the National Senior Indoor Championships, Crossan clocked 55.20 seconds in the final to finish fifth - and earn her place on the team for the European Indoors.

Last year, Phil Healy joined Sophie Becker, Rhasidat Adeleke and Sharlene Mawdsley to win European Championship silver medals in Rome before finishing fourth and just 0.18 seconds off a medal at the Olympic Games in Paris.

On Friday morning, Mawdsley withdrew from the individual 400m, citing the effects of a hamstring injury picked up during the previous evening’s mixed 4x400m relay. The Newport AC woman returned to Ireland on Saturday and when Healy pulled out on Sunday, after feeling unwell, the door opened for Crossan.

At the 2015 European Youth Olympic Festival in Tbilisi, Crossan was ninth in the long final and had a best leap of 5.73m.

A year later, also in Tbilisi, she reached the 400m hurdles final at the European U18 Championships, but an injury prevented her from starting the final.

She also ran over the 400m hurdles at the 2017 European Juniors  in Grosseto, Italy.  

Crossan earned an athletics scholarship at the West Texas A&M University and ran in the Lone Star State in 2017 and 2018, but lost her progress and was beset by injury for a lengthy spell until she found her way again last year.