World Indoor Athletics: Sharlene Mawdsley qualifies for 400m semi-finals in Glasgow

Tipperary's Sharlene Mawdsley has qualified for the semi-finals of the 400 metres at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Glasgow.

She posted a time of 52.23 seconds in her heat, and will run again in the semi-final at 8.50pm on Friday.

Israel Olatunde ran a season's best of 6.70 seconds in the 60-metre heats, but it wasn't enough for a place in the semi-finals.

On Friday evening, Sarah Healy is in the heats for the women’s 1,500 metres.

The Irish contingent at the championships is smaller than usual as some athletes have decided to skip the event to focus on the Olympics, which take place in Paris this summer.

A team of just 10 Irish athletes, contesting six events, will compete in Glasgow over the coming days.