Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
National record holder and 400m powerhouse, Rhasidat Adeleke, is through to the 400m World Championship final, tonight, 20:35 Irish Standard Time.
Adeleke is the lone Irish competitor in the 400m final. Her teammate, Sharlene Mawdsley, bowed out of the semi-finals after running four 400m races in three days.
The 20-year old Dublin native came first in heat five and ninth overall, in the of the first round of 400m heats. She ran a time of 50.80.
Adeleke then came in second to golf medal favorite Marileidy Paulin, in Heat 1 of the semi final, with a time of 49.87.
Adeleke placed fourth overall in the semi-final behind Natalia Kaczmarek (Poland), Sada Williams (Barbados), and Marileidy Paulino (Dominican Republic). She is currently ranked 10th in the world by World Athletics.
Rhasidat Adeleke returns to the track tonight for the Women's 400m FINAL🤩🙌
⏰8.35pm (Irish time) Set your alarms now👍
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Best of luck Rhasidat and coach Edrick Floréal🇮🇪✨@Ask123ie @IrishRunnerMag @JomaSport #WorldAthleticsChamps #IrishAthletics pic.twitter.com/2DOSzUxOan— Athletics Ireland (@irishathletics) August 23, 2023
"I feel good. I'm just proud of my performance and I am ready to go to the next round," said Adeleke in a post-race interview with RTÉ, "I know what to fix for the next race."
Although this is Adeleke’s second World Championships, this will be her first ever senior global final. To make it onto the podium it is likely that Adeleke will have to break her own Irish record of 49.20 (June 2023).
400m Final Runners
Cynthia Bolingo- Belgium
Candice McLeod- Jamaica
Rhasidat Adeleke- Ireland
Lieke Klaver- Netherlands
Natalia Kaczmarek- Poland
Marileidy Paulino- Dominican Republic
Sada Williams- Barbados
Talitha Diggs- USA
