Rhasidat Adeleke once again proved her prowess on the track, securing a commendable fourth place in the 200 metres run at the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix over the weekend. Despite a -0.3 headwind, the Dublin-born sprinter registered a time of 22.45 seconds, coming close to her own record of 22.34 seconds set in Florida last April.
Emerged victorious at the event was US athlete Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone who ran with an exceptional time of 22.07, outperforming her fellow nationals Abby Steiner and Brittney Brown. Adeleke managed to outpace another US sprinter, Gabby Thomas, a decorated athlete who secured bronze in the same category at the Tokyo Olympics and last year’s World Championships silver medallist.
Building on the momentum of her recent success at the World Athletics Relays in the Bahamas, where she aided Ireland in locking down two Olympic qualifications and bronze medals, Adeleke showcased her form in Los Angeles. The 21-year-old track star also holds the fastest ever World relay split record of 48.45 seconds for the 400m.
Adeleke had shown her prowess last month, running a wind-assisted 10.84 for the 100m. This success is another checkmark on her path to the upcoming European Championships in Rome, where she plans to compete in the 400m. “I approach every challenge without fear or excessive deference,” she revealed, adding that her recent accomplishments have boosted her global confidence.
On the winning side, this was only the second race for Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone this season. The former Olympic and last year’s World gold medallist in the 400m hurdles has transitioned to 400m after spending most of 2023 away from racing due to injury. Ranked tenth all-time for her 48.74 best in 400m, her attendance at the Paris championship might be on the horizon.
Bobby Kersee, the coach of McLaughlin-Levrone, confirmed earlier this week that the athlete will solely be focusing on the 400m hurdles at the upcoming US trials in Eugene, Oregon. He mentioned that the decision was influenced by her passion for the 400m hurdles which is also her strength and the event they are aiming to defend their Olympic title.
In other news, at the Memoriał Janusza Kusocińskiego meet in Chorzow, Poland, Sharlene Mawdsley clocked an automatic qualifying time for the 400m. The athlete from Tipperary bettered her personal best from 51.09 to 50.72, earning her a win. Mawdsley had previously shown promising performance aiding relay qualifications in the Bahamas, she surpassed the 50.95 automatic mark for Paris with a triumphant 50.72.
This performance has positioned Mawdsley on the second spot on the Irish all-time list. She now trails Adeleke and has moved past former Irish record holder Joanne Cuddihy, who was previously the only other female athlete from Ireland to register a run under 51 seconds. Adeleke’s current record time stands at 49.20 set in June last year.
Nick Griggs also showcased a splendid performance at the same meeting in Chorzow. The 19-year-old set a personal best in the 1,500m, clocking a time of 3:35.90. He improved upon his earlier best of 3:36.09 set in Nice. Griggs’ performance assures him of an automatic qualifying spot at the forthcoming European Athletics Championships in Rome. It also earns him crucial ranking points in his pursuit of Olympic qualification.