Adeleke has taken another giant leap forward in her burgeoning career.
The 21-year-old Dubliner produced a mind-boggling split of 48.45 seconds to help Ireland to bronze medals in the mixed 4x400m at the World Relays in the Bahamas last night.
As the Irish Examiner reports, amid a showing of collective brilliance from the quartet, there was no doubt who shone brightest.
After taking the baton from Cillín Greene, Adeleke produced an astonishing run to hoist her team from fourth to second, and with two strong legs to follow from Thomas Barr and Sharlene Mawdsley, the Irish smashed the national record they’d set a day earlier, clocking 3:11.53 to finish behind USA (3:10.73) and the Netherlands (3:11.45).
Times are a trivial thing to worry about at events where it’s all about medals, but there was simply no ignoring the significance of Adeleke’s split – not just for the Irish chances in that race but for her chances at the Paris Olympics.
Her 48.45 was the fastest female split of the entire weekend, quicker than reigning world 400m champion Marileidy Paulino managed (48.93); quicker than world indoor 400m record holder Femke Bol (49.54) and quicker than reigning Olympic 400m champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo (49.54).
After the Dubliner handed the baton off, Barr was his tough, resilient self on the third leg, splitting 46.06 to pass to Mawdsley in second.
The Tipperary sprinter ran an astute anchor leg, holding the inside line and putting up an almighty fight to try repel the challenge of Dutch star Bol, who edged her to second, with Mawdsley carrying Ireland to bronze after splitting 50.12.
Olympic qualification was clinched for both the mixed and women’s 4x400m with national records on Saturday night, Mawdsley said “We couldn’t have asked for much more today”.
Greene said it was “absolutely unbelievable” to leave the Bahamas with a medal.
“It’s the stuff of the dreams…I don’t think we expected it at all, we couldn’t be happier.”
Ireland finished seventh in Sunday’s final of the women’s 4x400m.
With just half an hour between the two finals, and Adeleke and Mawdsley unavailable, Phil Healy, Roisin Harrison, Lauren Cadden, and Sophie Becker ran a time of 3:30.95.
Huge run by the Irish mixed relay to take 3rd at World Relays in a national record of 3:11.53
A mind-blowing split of 48.45 by Rhasidat Adeleke - over a second quicker than Femke Bol & Marileidy Paulino
Other splits:
Cillín Greene 46.92
Thomas Barr 46.04
Sharlene Mawdsley 50.12 pic.twitter.com/4LGEIguqhP— Cathal Dennehy (@Cathal_Dennehy) May 6, 2024
By Kenneth Fox
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