At every Olympics, athletes confront unique challenges. They must decide whether to give their all at once or hold back a fraction of their stamina, whether to take additional rest or get moving, or whether to compete in two different events and pray it doesn’t backfire.
It’s already known that a few promising contenders are eager to attempt an Olympic double at the Stade de France, where the track and field events will commence the coming Friday. Don’t rule out the possibility of Noah Lyles from the U.S gaining golds in both the 100m and 200m races, or even Jakob Ingebrigtsen from Norway seizing the gold in the 1,500m and 5,000m races. My wager is on the latter.
It’s also worth noting that Lyles will compete in the 4x100m relay, a race strategically scheduled after his individual medal ventures. Sifan Hassan, a Dutch participant, is audacious enough to participate and potentially medal in four separate events: the 1,500m, 5,000m, 10,000m, and the marathon.
Another noteworthy contender is the 21-year-old Rhasidat Adeleke, who faces the particularly challenging Olympic double ordeal. The peak of her career is probably still a few years away. We remain uncertain about whether she will participate in the 4x400m mixed relay in Paris. Previously, Adeleke was part of the team that won gold for Ireland at the European Athletics Championships last month in Rome, before refocusing her attention on the individual 400m race where she secured a silver medal.
One thing is for sure, her focus in Paris will primarily be on individual events. Her record time of 49.07 seconds for the 400m, recorded in Rome, is the third quickest this year from the 400m applicants.
However, at the last Diamond League gathering in London before the Paris event, Nickisha Pryce, 23, from Jamaica, outperformed everyone else with a record time of 48.57 seconds, the fastest globally this year. She even surpassed Poland’s European champion Natalia Kaczmarek, who improved her national record to 48.90 seconds.
Lastly, Marileidy Paulino from the Dominican Republic and Salwa Eid Naser from Bahrain are amongst others who are significantly faster.
It’s becoming evident that in order to triumph in Paris, a time under 49 seconds might be necessary. Adeleke has the competence to do this, but she must step up her game instead of relying on the possibility of those ahead of her decelerating.
To be more precise, we’re looking ahead to the upcoming mixed 4x400m relay heats scheduled for next Friday, the first day of the athletics (at 7.10pm), with the finale planned for Saturday evening (8.55pm).
Subsequently, the women’s 400m rounds begin the next Monday (heats at 12.50pm), proceeding to Wednesday (semi-finals at 8.45pm) and concluding with the finale on Friday (8.0pm).
Possibly, Adeleke might not envision being part of the mixed relay heats, and it’s mooted that she’s dismissed the idea. However, if the Irish team reaches the final without her, the picture changes completely, potentially elevating her chances of securing a podium spot more than in the individual 400m. But could this potentially influence her individual prospects?
Back in May, Adeleke was part of the Irish mixed relay team that qualified at the World Athletics Relays in the Bahamas for Paris; she ran the second leg in a record-breaking 48.45 seconds. They secured a bronze, falling behind the wining USA and well-respected Netherlands. The winning distance held by Femke Bol of Netherlands was a meagre .08 of a second, clocking 3:11.53 for Irish.
In Rome, the Irish team, comprising of Chris O’Donnell, Adeleke, Thomas Barr and Mawdsley, updated their national record to 3:09.92, earning the gold. The mixed relay event at the Tokyo Olympics saw Poland clinching the gold with a time of 3:09.87. Consider the figures.
However, in Rome it was a direct finale, with Adeleke also receiving a pass from the 400m heats.
“The United States is tipped to triumph in Paris yet again, but the Dutch team may be more vulnerable, mainly due to Bol focusing on the individual 400m hurdles. It is also unlikely that Kaczmarek will participate in the mixed relay.
Adeleke is enlisted in the women’s 4x400m relay in Paris, but the call to participate is not within her control. The preliminary round of the women’s 4x400m is scheduled for the morning of the 9th August, followed by the individual final in the evening. If Adeleke qualifies for the individual final, she won’t be able to compete in the relay heats. The task of qualifying for the final without her participation is clearly more challenging.
Edrick Floréal, Adeleke’s coach in Texas – known as Coach Flo – maintains that any decision involving her partaking in the mixed relay will be primarily for her benefit, as it should. Adeleke will have input in the decision. One aspect to consider could be the benefit of gaining familiarity with the Olympic arena prior her individual event, considering that Adeleke, in past, controversially missed out on being chosen for the mixed relay in Tokyo.
Adeleke disclosed that her legs felt somewhat weighed down during her 400m semi-final in Rome, which occurred a day after the mixed relay. She was also exempted from the initial heats there. The risk of muscle strain while striving for an Olympic medal is high, which could possibly drive Adeleke to delay taking on that risk until her individual 400m.
Her relay colleagues from Rome, Mawdsley and Barr, empathetically encapsulated her predicament stating the importance of respecting her decision, regardless what it may be. “Rhasidat has to choose the path that’s most beneficial for her,” Mawdsley commented, “and I wouldn’t harbor any ill feelings whatsoever.”
Adding to this, Barr said, “Considering her potential to compete for a medal in the 400m, I would never begrudge her for that. There are bigger issues at hand from her perspective. We’re all eager to see how the situation evolves.””
The positions of two relay runners can be alternated between the heat and the final. Athletics Ireland is required to submit their selection for the mixed relay team by the upcoming Thursday, a full day ahead of the heats, and there’s a strong possibility that Adeleke will still be included in the team. This will allow her to delay her decision of confronting the greatest Olympic conundrum.
She must decide whether to participate in the relay race in the hope of securing a medal or to forfeit this opportunity with the aspiration of obtaining an individual medal instead. This is undoubtedly a speculative gamble, yet if asked, I would predict she will opt for the latter choice.