In Ireland’s Olympic history, few if any of our Games debutantes have been more eagerly and justifiably anticipated than Rhasidat Adeleke.
But then, few if any have been such a rare and breathtaking talent as the 21-year-old sprinter from Dublin has.
Not long to go. The six opening round heats of the women’s 400m get under way inside the Stade de France on Monday from 10.55am Irish time, and Adeleke has been drawn in the last of them.
Adeleke has come to Paris with the third-fastest time in the world this year among the 400m entries – her Irish record of 49.07 seconds set when winning silver at the European Championships in Rome in June. The two fastest times this year came from Jamaica’s Nickisha Pryce, who ran 48.57 at the last Diamond League meeting in London, and Poland’s European champion Natalia Kaczmarek, who ran 48.90 in the same race – the only women to run sub-49 seconds this year.
However, two other women have run significantly faster from before 2024 – the 2023 World champion Marileidy Paulino from the Dominican Republic has run 48.76, and 2019 World champion Salwa Eid Naser from Bahrain has run 48.14.
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Adeleke is unlikely to be bothered by anyone in her heat. Drawn in lane six, only one other woman around her has run sub-50 seconds, Alexis Holmes from the USA. The first three in each heat go straight into Wednesday night’s semi-finals (at 8.45pm Irish time), with the rest into the new repechage round on Tuesday.
What is becoming increasing clear is that a sub-49 second time will likely be required to win a medal in Paris, come that final on Friday night.
For the first time, Ireland has the full individual quota of three women in the 400m. Sophie Becker has been drawn in heat one, with a best of 51.13, with the likes of Naser for company, and also Kendall Ellis, who won the US Trials in June.
Sharlene Mawdsley is out in heat five, her best of 50.72 ranked sixth fastest of that heat, which also includes Paulino. Becker and Mawdsley have already run the heats of the 4x400m mixed relay, which Adeleke bypassed as expected, unwavering in her belief she can challenge for an individual medal.
Adeleke has only tested herself over 400m once since Rome, winning her first Diamond League race in Monaco in July in 49.17, the second fastest time of her life. After that race, Adeleke said winning an Olympic medal was “absolutely” the goal in Paris.
“I think I’m well capable, and my coach will have me ready to be able to peak at the right time,” she said. “So hopefully I’ll be there when it matters.”
That coach being Edrick Floréal, better known as Coach Flo, who has nurtured Adeleke’s rare talent since she moved to the University of Texas at the start of 2021. There are already clear and exciting signs that he’s got the peaking part spot on.
Julien Alfred, another of Coach Flo’s athletes and training partner of Adeleke, wrote her own piece of Olympic history when winning the women’s 100m in the Stade de France on Saturday night, a first Olympic medal of any colour for the tiny Caribbean Island of St Lucia.
Adeleke finished fourth in the 400m at last year’s World Championships, as did Alfred in the 200m; they’ve both enjoyed a year racing in the professional ranks since then, sparing them the punishing schedule of the US collegiate system, and there’s no reason to doubt Adeleke will be at her peak this week too.
She’s not yet at the peak of her sprinter powers, though. It’s still just over two years since she raced her first individual 400m, and it was in May of 2022 that she first broke the Irish record, her 50.70 eclipsing the 50.73 which had stood to Joanne Cuddihy since 2007.
There is one notable absentee from the 400m contenders in Paris. Two-time defending champion Shaunae Miller Uibo from the Bahamas withdrew last month with injury, which means there will be a new Olympic champion in the 400m for the first time since 2012. Paulino won silver in Tokyo, and will be thinking of nothing but an upgrade this time around.
Making her Olympic debut on Sunday morning was Nicola Tuthill, with the 20-year-old from Bandon just four places off making the hammer final, throwing a best of 69.90m in qualification to leave her ranked 16th best overall.
