‘That was the most special, everyone cheering my name’ – Rhasidat Adeleke smashes 100m record as new era in Irish athletics beckons
All around Morton Stadium, the feeling was the same: They’d never seen anything like this. Not just what they witnessed on the track – an Irishwoman blitzing 100 metres in 11.13 seconds, by far the fastest in history – but what they saw alongside it: several thousand fans thronging this old stadium, with a new, fresh energy running right through Irish athletics.
Rhasidat Adeleke felt it the moment she walked out for the women’s 100m final. By then, everyone had found their vantage point, navigating the North Dublin traffic and the lack of local parking to catch a glimpse of one of Irish sport’s brightest stars.
“Seeing everyone out here is phenomenal, I don’t remember there being a crowd like this at nationals,” said Adeleke. “Having them all cheer me on when they called my name at the start I was like, ‘I want to put on a show and do something special.’”
That she did, Adeleke exploding from the blocks and leaving most of her rivals in a different postcode. The one Irish sprint record she didn’t have, indoors or outdoors, was the 100m mark, set by Sarah Lavin last year at 11.27. But Adeleke didn’t so much break it as utterly demolish it, producing the kind of outlying performance that speaks to her seemingly limitless potential.
Her 11.13, aided by a gentle tailwind of 0.7m/s, saw her hit the line a few metres clear of Lavin, who clocked 11.37, the Emerald athlete adding silver to the 100m hurdles gold on Saturday. But this day belonged to Adeleke, who spent hours fulfilling autograph and photo requests with legions of adoring young fans after.
“I love competing at home for nationals; it’s so special,” said Adeleke, who needed a slew of Gardaí to marshal her through the hordes of youngsters after the race. “That was the most special, not even the national record, but everyone cheering my name. It’s a visualisation of the support I have and it just goes so far because actually seeing them here, physically, and people traveled so far from different counties to come watch. I just really appreciate it.”
It was her last race on Irish soil ahead of the Olympics, with Adeleke completing a short training camp in Sweden this week before races in Monaco (July 12) and London (July 20) – one of which will be a 400m. She said no decision has yet been made on the mixed relay, which comes before the individual 400m at the Games. One thing that’s certain: her speed is right where she wants it to be.
“My coach always reminds me in everything I do, it’s focused on the Olympics,” she said. “I’m really happy to run like that considering I’ve been training for the longer stuff. I’m still in my block of 400m training.”
Elsewhere, Thomas Barr produced a dominant display to win his 12th national title in the men’s 400m hurdles, the Ferrybank athlete falling short of the automatic Olympic qualifying standard of 48.70 and clocking 50.61. That did not help his position on world rankings and he faces a nervous wait today to see if he’s done enough to make the Olympics. Going into the race he was just inside the qualification quota, sitting 39th of 40.
“If I was coming out and it was just a national title at stake, I’d be very happy walking away but the race went about as badly as any race has gone all year and it was crunch time,” he said. “I took the first hurdle on the wrong leg and it really threw me off and I didn’t come home as strong. To be honest I completely messed up this weekend. I’ll probably fall outside the rankings but that’s the game. The margins are so fine. I’ve a feeling I’m going to be the nearly man.”
Jack Raftery held his nerve brilliantly to win a high-pressure men’s 400m and assure selection for the mixed relay pool for Paris, the Donore Harrier running down defending champion Chris O’Donnell to take gold in 45.95, with O’Donnell also a certain pick after clocking 46.07 in second. Callum Baird was a close third in 46.20 with Tokyo Olympian Cillín Greene fourth in 46.85.
“It was run 45 or you don’t make the team,” said Raftery. “I knew it was there but it had to be done.” Raftery felt the stress of securing selection and had worked with a sports psychologist in recent weeks to make sure he ran his own race in the final.
“I didn’t really sleep last night,” he said. “But I just focused on what I needed to focus on.”
Sophie Becker claimed victory in the women’s 400m in 52.68 and she has to wait and see if she’s done enough to qualify for Paris via her world ranking, with a relay place assured. Nicola Tuthill of UCD gave her chances a boost by throwing 68.54m to win the women’s hammer.
Israel Olatunde was composure personified as he edged victory in the men’s 100m, clocking 10.27 to beat Bori Akinola (10.29). Cathal Doyle utilised his vast range of gears to kick to victory in the 1,500m, clocking 3:44.15 ahead of UCD’s Luke McCann (3:44.54). Both are on track to secure Olympic qualification via their world ranking.
Mark English was once again different class to his rivals in the men’s 800m, coasting to victory in 1:49.18. Sarah Healy timed her run to perfection to win the women’s 800m, clocking 2:03.64 to beat fellow Olympian Louise Shanahan (2:04.17). Sophie O’Sullivan stamped her supremacy on the women’s 1,500m by kicking to gold in 4:20.45.
Jodie McCann made a bold bid to secure Olympic qualification in the women’s 5,000m, the Dublin City Harrier pushing the pace early and winning in 15:44.80. She was outside the quota last night but expects up to 10 athletes not to take their place, which would see her secure a spot in Paris alongside her brother Luke.
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