A Galway athlete is on his way to the Olympics in Paris later this summer after helping the Irish Mixed Relay 4x400m squad smash the National record twice in the space of a couple of days.

Cillín Greene from Claregalway played a key role as the Irish team stormed to a superb bronze medal at the World Athletics Relays in Nassau in the Bahamas over the weekend.

A member of Galway City Harriers, Greene teamed up with Rhasidat Adeleke (Tallaght AC), Thomas Barr (Ferrybank AC) and Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport AC) in setting another national record of 3:11.53 to seal their spot on the podium.

Ireland’s time took almost a second off the national record the same quartet had set on Saturday when winning their heat and qualifying for the Olympics.

Amongst the Irish splits was a phenomenal 48.45 from Adeleke who showed her class once again on another superb night for Irish sprinting.

Twenty-six-year-old Greene was on cloud nine after the team’s exploits. “It’s absolutely unbelievable, it’s the stuff of dreams. I don’t think we expected it at all, we couldn’t be happier,” he said.

And the hugely talented Adeleke paid tribute to the Galway sprinter for his part in their record-breaking exploits. “I really appreciate my team-mates, Cillín gave the baton to me in a brilliant position, so I just wanted to build on that.”

Greene led off the Irish quartet and put in a very solid performance, with Adeleke, Barr and Mawdsley also covering themselves in glory in finishing a brilliant third behind the USA and the Netherlands.

After their victory in the heats, Greene commented: “I was out in lane seven, running blind, but I felt strong and really glad I had the legs to play my part. Everybody is running so well. That was our first race as a unit this year and we are only getting to get stronger.”

How right the former Galway athletics Sports Star was.

Greene also represented Ireland in the mixed 4x400m relay at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

Pictured: The Irish mixed 4x440m relay team of Thomas Barr, Sharlene Mawdsley Galway’s Cillín Greene and Rhasidat Adeleke with their bronze medals after setting a new national record at the World Athletics Relays in the Bahamas.