Sophie Becker and Jodie McCann secure Olympic qualification as Thomas Barr misses out

The 2016 Olympic finalist was ranked 42nd after the qualification window closed last Sunday night, and faced an anxious wait during the week as World Athletics confirmed with national governing bodies around the world who would accept or reject their places.

World Athletics published its final list of qualifiers via their Road to Paris system on Sunday, with Barr’s name not among the 40 entrants. Barr said at nationals that he “completely messed up”, having run all out in his heat in bid to hit the automatic standard of 48.70 despite dire weather conditions, clocking 49.60. That effort took a toll the next day and he clocked 50.61 in the final, a race where a time of 49.90 would have proven enough to secure enough rankings points to earn a place in Paris. “The margins are so fine,” he said. “I’ve a feeling I’m going to be the nearly man.”

He is still expected to secure selection for the Games via the mixed 4x400m relay, having split a remarkable 44.90 during the European final in Rome as he helped Ireland to gold.

Becker will also be part of the relay pools but the Wexford woman has secured a spot at an Olympics as an individual for the first time, placing 46th in the Road to Paris rankings over 400m, with 48 women securing a place.

There was also cause for celebration for Jodie McCann, who moved into a qualifying position today after several withdrawals in the women’s 5000m. Mcann was 47th after the qualification window closed last week, with 42 spots available, but she has moved up to 39th on the final list of qualifiers.

She will be joined in Paris by her older brother Luke, who has secured a spot in the 1500m via his world ranking, sitting 35th of 45 qualifiers. Cathal Doyle will also join him in the 1500m, sitting 41st. Kate O’Connor (heptathlon), Eric Favors (shot put) and Nicola Tuthill (hammer) are the other Irish athletes to secure a spot via rankings.

Ten additional Irish individual athletes have qualified by hitting the automatic entry standard: Rhasidat Adeleke and Sharlene Mawdsley (both 400m); Ciara Mageean, Sarah Healy and Sophie O’Sullivan (all 1500m); Mark English (800m); Fionnuala McCormack (marathon); Andrew Coscoran (1500m); Brian Fay (5000m) and Sarah Lavin (100m hurdles).

Mageean was also qualified for the 800m but has withdrawn from that with her focus fully on the 1500m, where she will face a tough task to win a medal given the news earlier this week that Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia is set to triple in Paris, also running the 5000m and 10,000m – the standard likely a notch higher than last year’s world final.

Adeleke was also qualified for the 200m and she has also declined her place with her focus on the 400m. The full Irish team is set to be announced in the coming days, with the line-ups for the mixed 4x400m and women’s 4x400m still to be confirmed.