Mawdsley victorious on return to track in Italy

Sharlene Mawdsley marked her return to the track with a victory in the women’s 400m at the 62nd Palio Città della Quercia meet in Rovereto, Italy.

The Tipperary sprinter had missed last month’s European Athletic Championsips in Birmingham due to a hamstring tear sustained during a 200m race at July’s National Championships in Santry.

But the 28-year-old was able to return with a winning feeling in Italy on Tuesday evening at an event that is a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meet.

Mawdsley won her race in a time of 50.58, just ahead of Britain’s Charlotte Henrich.

At the same meet, Sarah Healy narrowly missed out on the podium in the women’s 1500m race.

The 25-year-old Dubliner ran a time of 4:02.72 which was just 0.55 behind third-place finisher Margot Appleton of the United States. Sophie O’Sullivan came home 11th in 4:06.80.

Meanwhile, Eric Favors finished eighth in the men’s shot put with a mark of 19.67.

Bori Akinola was sixth in race B of the men’s 100m final in a time of 10.40.

In the men’s 3000m final, Darragh McElhinney (7:49.97) and Brian Fay (7:57.48) finished 16th and 19th respectively.