Dublin’s Golden Girl makes the Olympic Final
Rhasidat Adeleke qualified for the Olympic 400m Final finishing second in her semi final at the Stade de France, with a time of 49.95. Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser won comfortably in a time of 49.08. Naser is a former world champion and has set down a marker in anticipation of the final.
Rhasidat afterwards expressed some frustration with her run, “I was ready to go, but when we went again (after a false start) I felt like I was thinking about it too much. I didn’t execute my first 200m like I should have, but that’s nothing that can’t be fixed for the final. I think I also panicked a little bit which made me break form really early. I’m excited, I’ve made the final and now I can give it my best shot.”
Rhasidat is aiming for a podium place and though this will be tough, given the strong competition, she is in with a decent chance. However, the 400m Womens event is stacked with a number of very strong atheletes. Of course though, the large Irish crowd will be out in force on Friday when she attempts to earn Ireland another medal.
The Tallaght Speedster
The Tallaght Athletic Club member, who is still only 22, holds seven Irish national records including the 100m, 200m and 400m. In 2023, she finished 4th at the World Championships held in Hungary. She comes into the Olympics on a strong note, having won the silver medal in Italy at the European Championships in June. Rhasidat trains in America with the renowned coach Edrick Floreal. Her PB (Personal Best) time in the 400m is 49.07.
Route to the 400m Olympic Final
Adelekes next race is the final which is set for Friday 9th at 7pm when the eyes of a nation will be firmly set on the Stade de France!
For detailed information on what’s on and when you check out the official Olympics site.
And check out also how Rhasidat performs in the final here.
