In the home stretch, just as the stagger was unwinding, Rhasidat Adekele was poised for an Olympic 400 metres final, yet alarming signs were beginning to show. Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain took a clean ran past her, suddenly Adeleke found herself struggling, her form waning along with her hope, until finally she came in second.
Her finishing time of 49.95 seconds seemed strained, something was evidently amiss. This should not have exerted such a physical burden on her, leaving her virtually breathless. Nonetheless, she earned the distinction of being the first-ever Irish woman to enter an Olympic sprint final. Yet, the 21-year-old Dubliner was clearly aware that her race had not unfolded smoothly. Without any display of merriment, she trudged up the exit ramp, frequently pausing to rest.
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Fatigue from her effort, and the clear concern associated with it played a part as she prepared for Friday’s final showdown. Adeleke managed a swift interview with RTÉ on the exit ramp, but could not navigate the mixed zone. At this stage, Team Ireland’s management stepped in, ensuring that she received medical care, purely on a precautionary basis.
Heather Boyle, Team Ireland’s manager, stated that Adeleke’s struggle was attributed to her exertion; there were no preemptive signs of illness, and as such, no definitive reasons to worry about her participation in Friday’s final.
“The race was chaotically disorganised, ” Adeleke confessed to RTÉ. “I am just exuberant about qualifying for the final and making all the necessary adjustments prior to it.”
In the initial round of the three semi-finals, a start-over was called due to a caution given to Lieke Klaver from the Netherlands, which possibly disrupted the rhythm of her race. Klaver wasn’t able to qualify, finishing in fourth place, as Norwegian Henrietta Jaeger swiftly advanced past her for third place, securing her spot alongside Adeleke.
The extended wait before the start of the race might have thrown off Adeleke’s composure, as she reflects on her performance in the first 100m and 200m being subpar, with signs of panic causing an early break in form. However, she expressed confidence in improving for the final stage and tempered her worries by reflecting on past races where the final run went exceptionally well despite less successful rounds.
Securing the second spot for an automatic qualification, Adeleke was subsequently placed in lane four for the final on Friday, ranking sixth amongst the eight qualifiers with a time of 49.95. The semi-final was won by Naser, who bettered her season’s best with 49.08. Naser, who comes with a history of a doping ban, seems to be regaining her rhythm.
The weather inside France’s Stade de France was slightly chillier than previous evenings, and the race times for the other two semi-finals were notably slow. Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic, the 2023 world champion, won the second semi-final with a time of 49.21, while Nickisha Pryce from Jamaica was unable to secure a qualifying spot. Poland’s European champion Natalia Kaczmarek won the third semi-final clocking 49.45, she, along with Naser and Paulino, appear to be hitting their peak form. Naser has previously made a record time of 48.14, the third-fastest in history, before a two-year ban due to missed doping tests.
The key query now is whether Adeleke can regain her top performance in time for the Friday final. Adeleke’s impressive record time of 49.07 seconds, achieved when she bagged a silver at the European Championships in June, could position her well for a medal. Adeleke will occupy lane four, providing unobstructed visibility of the runners ahead. It is hoped she will still be in the running as she enters the homestretch, precisely as the stagger unwinds.
In a previous frenetic morning session that saw five athletes compete, Mark English put on a magnificent performance, comfortably advancing to the 800 metres semi-finals on Friday. He secured the second automatic spot in his heat, in close proximity to Gabriel Tual from France.
Tual, who ran an impressive 1:41.61 this summer and is pegged as a potential medallist, was closely trailed by English, who finished barely behind, at 1:45.15 to Tual’s 1:45.13.
Sarah Lavin also showcased her abilities in her 100m hurdles heats, progressing directly to the semi-finals after finishing second in her heat with a time of 12.73, behind Danielle Williams from Jamaica, the world champion, who finished at 12.59.
Sophie O’Sullivan and Sarah Healy once again hit the track, within 24 hours, for the repechage round of the 1,500m. While O’Sullivan displayed great spirit, she unfortunately missed out on advancing to the semi-final by a narrow margin, finishing fourth. Healy met with a similar fate, marking an end to their debut Olympic stint.