Although Rhasidat Adeleke didn’t emerge victorious, she walked off the field with a firm stand and firm resolve, claiming fourth position in her inaugural Olympic finals – a result she hadn’t anticipated. She refused to seek solace in the brighter aspects of the situation, with her focus on victories in her career in the 400m event. Most anticipate her eventual triumph, although this was not the case here. In the end, her medal was awarded to Natalia Kaczmarek, the competitor from Poland-over whom Adeleke may be holding some grudges.
Previously at the World Championships in Budapest, Kaczmarek claimed the runner-up position while Adeleke achieved fourth place. To add insult to injury, Kaczmarek won gold at the European Championships in Rome earlier in the year, leaving Adeleke second place. It was indeed the Pole who outpaced her when the stakes were highest.
As she reached the climax of the race, the night was in full swing. Adeleke had held her own in the first few parts of the race, and had even managed to kick off the final stretch in the third position. Marileidy Paulino and Salwa Eid Naser, however, had seized the gold and silver and were far ahead, but the bronze was still within reach.
It was possible that Adeleke’s pace had been overly ambitious at the start, but it was a strategy enforced by her coach Edrick Floreal to maximize her potential as a 400m runner. Her journey is far from over, as she is just 21 years old, compared to Kaczmarek who is 26 and seemingly executed a more strategic race, with her sights set on the bronze and Adeleke as her primary competition.
As the race was about to end, with only 60 meters left, Adeleke’s effort was visibly on the increase with her high elbow movements and head straining. Having exhausted the energy she had for the first 300 metres, Adeleke now faced the stubborn pain that weighed heavy on her muscles. Kaczmarek skillfully utilised Adeleke’s trailing wind and overtook her when there were 40 metres to spare. Of the eight runners, Adeleke’s last 50 meters were the second slowest.
“There have been instances where I managed the final 50 metres well, and times when I didn’t,” confessed Adeleke. “It generally depends on how the rest of the race has unfolded. Perhaps it’s about mastering patience and not launching too soon.”
Adeleke believes her performance is partly a matter of practice and experience. She knows she has more to give in the 400m, but needs more experience and races to learn the best way to run. Looking ahead, Adeleke plans to continue refining her approach to ensure the race plan suits her ideally.
While undoubtedly upset over the outcome, Adeleke didn’t dishearten easily. Her interaction with David Gillick from RTÉ post-race made her disappointment evident, yet she wasn’t overly critical of herself. She remains confident that a similar opportunity will present itself, and if it doesn’t, it means something’s amiss.
Adeleke has shifted our expectations in athletics, the supreme Olympic sport. Unlike her fellow Irish athletes, she strove not just to qualify but to win. Her level of dedication, evident in her seasonal performance, the trio of years since not being selected for Tokyo, her academic pursuit, and professional career – were all aimed at that one running lap.
Enthusiastically she recalls, “My goal was to deliver a good performance. I was not overly concerned with the overall Olympic experience, I didn’t do much. I was here to display my abilities and I stayed dedicated to that goal. Initially, I managed to explore a bit of the village, but didn’t wander more than necessary.”
Her focus was primarily on her performance and competition, rather than the whole experience of the Olympics. She perceived her priorities to be somewhat unique compared to other athletes. While acknowledging the sanctity and appeal of the Olympics, her attention remained resolutely on her performance.
She is all set to participate in the women’s relay final this Saturday evening. She has plans in the pipeline about her career, including participating in the World Championships in Tokyo the following year and LA in four years’ time. She will persistently strive for improvement along the way. As the penultimate youngest contestant in the final, her outlook towards any positive aspects was inquired about.
However, according to her, looking on the bright side was not feasible at the moment. She argued that some athletes make it to the Olympics merely for participation and the experience, their ambition being to become an Olympian. She was aware of her potential and had loftier ambitions.
She had her sight set on a podium finish and was sure she would be disappointed by fourth place. Her coach shared her belief in her podium potential. Although it wasn’t her day, she believed she still had a lot of untapped potential and vowed to stay optimistic about the future.