Rhasidat Adeleke misses out on Olympics while Leon Reid makes Tokyo team

Disappiontment for Adeleke who ran a full second quicker than any Irishwoman has run this year

Thu, 08 Jul, 2021 - 20:14

Cathal Dennehy

Rarely does an Irish Olympic team selection pass by without controversy, and there was plenty of heated debate once again as the full list of competitors was confirmed for the Tokyo Games.

The chief points of contention surround the omission of teenage sprint sensation Rhasidat Adeleke from the mixed 4x400m relay and the inclusion of Leon Reid, the 26-year-old 200m sprinter who was one of 18 men charged at Bristol Crown Court last month in relation to drugs and firearms offences, with any trial not expected to begin until November at the earliest.

The Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) selection committee initially rejected Reid's place in line with its policy, but Reid appealed and the Sports Dispute Solutions Ireland Olympic Tribunal remitted the case to be re-heard, directing that more discretion be shown given the circumstances of Reid's case. As a result the OFI selection committee reviewed the matter again in recent days and selected Reid.

“It’s been a tough mental battle as much as anything,” said Reid after winning the 200 metres at the national championships last month, adding that it would mean “everything” to make the Tokyo Games, which will be his first Olympics.

Adeleke, 18, was overlooked for the mixed 4x400m despite an astonishing 50.96-second leg at the NCAA Championships last month, almost a full second quicker than any Irishwoman has run this year. Her absence is likely due to her decision to run the 100m and 200m at the Irish Championships and her lack of 400m races this summer, with Athletics Ireland’s selection policy stating any athlete seeking nomination must run the designated distance at nationals unless granted permission by the high performance director to do otherwise.

At nationals Adeleke blazed to victory in the 100m in 11.29 and finished a superb second behind Phil Healy in the 200m, clocking 22.84, choosing those events to pursue individual qualification.

Part of the selection criteria states previous relay experience and splits may be considered, but that appears not to have been decisive given Adeleke’s omission. Sharlene Mawdsley – who clocked the second-fastest 4x400m split by an Irishwoman this year, the 51.86 she ran to help the team secure qualification in May – was also omitted after pulling up injured at the national championships.

Included for the mixed relay are Phil Healy and Cliodhna Manning, the first two across the line in the women’s 400m at nationals, and Sophie Becker, who missed that event through illness but whose recent personal best of 52.32 makes her the second fastest Irishwoman in regular 400m races this year. They will be joined by Cillin Greene, Chris O’Donnell and Robert McDonnell, the first three across the line at nationals in the men’s 400m.

Elsewhere Rio 2016 Olympic finalist Thomas Barr was selected for his second Olympics in the 400m hurdles. “I can’t wait to line up and compete against the best on the biggest stage in the world,” said Barr.

Athletics Ireland high performance director Paul McNamara complimented those who secured selection, saying “the resilience shown by these athletes has resulted in Ireland’s second biggest athletics team ever heading to a Games.”

TEAM IRELAND

ATHLETICS TEAM Individuals Thomas Barr (400m Hurdles) Síofra Cléirigh Büttner (800m) Andrew Coscoran (1500m) Mark English (800m) Michelle Finn (3,000m Steeplechase) Eilish Flanagan (3,000m Steeplechase) Phil Healy (200m/400m/400m Relay) Sarah Healy (1500m) David Kenny (20K Walk) Sarah Lavin (100H) Marcus Lawler (200m) Ciara Mageean (1500m) Nadia Power (800m) Leon Reid (200m) Louise Shanahan (800m)

Mixed 4 x 400m Relay Team (4 athletes from the following 6): Cillin Greene Chris O’Donnell Phil Healy Sophie Becker Robert McDonnell Cliodhna Manning

Athletics Marathon Men: Paul Pollock (Rio Olympian) Stephen Scullion Kevin Seaward (Rio Olympian)

Marathon Women: Aoife Cooke Fionnuala McCormack (Beijing, London, Rio Olympian)

Athletics Men’s 50km Race Walk: Brendan Boyce (London, Rio Olympian) Alex Wright (Rio Olympian)