Star turn Adeleke treats bumper Nationals crowd to 'special' record

Adeleke took gold at the 123.ie National Track and Field Championships in Santry

ON YER MARKS: Rhasidat Adeleke of Tallaght AC, Dublin, centre, competing in the women's 100m during day two of the 123.ie National Outdoor Senior Championships at Morton Stadium in Santry, Dublin. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

The crowds came out like never before, and they witnessed a performance the likes of which no one had ever witnessed at nationals – Rhasidat Adeleke blasting an 11.13-second 100m to obliterate the Irish record and give herself the perfect send-off ahead of the Paris Olympics.

The 21-year-old Dubliner produced the undoubted star performance to take gold at the 123.ie National Track and Field Championships at Morton Stadium on Sunday afternoon, her 11.13 (+0.7m/s) obliterating the previous record of 11.27 that was set by Sarah Lavin in Switzerland last year.

Lavin followed her home here in 11.37, with Adeleke completing the clean sweep of Irish sprint records, indoors and outdoors, from 60m to 400m. It was her last race on Irish soil ahead of the Paris Olympics, with Adeleke completing a short training camp in Sweden this week before races in Monaco and London.

“I love competing at home for nationals, it’s so special,” said Adeleke. “Seeing everyone out here is phenomenal, I don’t remember there being a crowd like this at nationals so having them all cheer me on when they called my name at the start I was like, ‘I want to put on a show and do something special.’”

That she did, Adeleke taking a clean sweep of Irish sprint records at the age of just 21. She was surrounded by spectators afterwards, with a slew of Gardaí needed to marshal her through the hordes of youngsters waiting near the finish for autographs and selfies.

“That was the most special, not even the national record but everyone cheering my name,” she said. “It's a visualisation of the support I have and it just goes so far because actually seeing them here, physically, and people travelled so far from different counties to come watch. I just really appreciate it.” 

The race was watched by the biggest crowd in recent decades at nationals, with Sunday’s ticket sales doubled compared to last year following the success of the Irish team at the Europeans in Rome, where Adeleke won two relay medals along with individual silver in the 400m. Earlier in the day, she had coasted to victory in her semi-final in 11.54.

Elsewhere, Thomas Barr produced a dominant display to win his 12th national title in the men’s 400m hurdles, the Ferrybank athlete falling short of the automatic Olympic qualifying standard of 48.70 when clocking 50.61. That will not strengthen Barr’s position on world rankings and he now faces a nervous wait to see if he’s done enough to make the Olympics. Going into the race he was just inside the qualification quota, sitting 39th on the Road to Paris list, with the top-40 set to qualify.

Thomas Barr on his way to winning the men's 400m hurdles. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

“If I was coming out and it was just a national title at stake, I’d be very happy walking away but the race went about as badly as any race has gone all year and it was crunch time today,” he said. “I took the first hurdle on the wrong leg and it really threw me off and I didn’t come home as strong as I did yesterday. To be honest I completely messed up this weekend. I’ll probably fall outside the rankings but that’s the game. The margins are so fine. I’ve a feeling I’m going to be the nearly man.” 

Jack Raftery held his nerve brilliantly to claim victory in a high-pressure men’s 400m and assure himself selection for the mixed relay at the Paris Olympics, the Donore Harrier running down defending champion Chris O’Donnell to take gold in 45.95, with O’Donnell also now a certain pick for Paris after clocking 46.07 in second. Callum Baird was a close third in 46.20 with Tokyo Olympian Cillín Greene fourth in 46.85.

“It was: run 45 or you don’t make the team,” said Raftery. “I knew it was there but it had to be done.” Raftery admitted he’d felt the stress of securing selection and had worked with a sports psychologist in recent weeks to make sure he ran his own race in the final. “I didn’t really sleep last night,” he said. “But I just focused on what I needed to focus on.” 

His training partner Sophie Becker claimed victory in the women’s 400m in 52.68, and the Raheny athlete now has to wait and see if she’s done enough to qualify for Paris via her world ranking, with a relay place assured.

Nicola Tuthill of UCD gave her qualification chances a boost by throwing 68.54m to take gold in the women's hammer, the Bandon native now also waiting to see if her world ranking will secure her a place at the Games, with today the last day to register eligible performances.

Israel Olatunde held his nerve to edge a close battle for the men’s 100m, the Tallaght AC sprinter clocking 10.27 to beat UCD’s Bori Akinola (10.29). Cathal Doyle utilised his vast range of gears to kick to victory in the 1500m, clocking 3:44.15 ahead of UCD’s Luke McCann (3:44.54) and Darragh McElhinney. Doyle and McCann remain on track to secure Olympic qualification via their world ranking.

Nicola Tuthill of UCD AC. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Mark English proved different class to his rivals in the men’s 800m, the national record holder and four-time European medallist coasting to victory in 1:49.18, with Cillian Kirwan of Raheny a distant second in 1:51.08.

Sarah Healy timed her run to perfection to win the women’s 800m, the UCD graduate clocking 2:03.64 to beat fellow Olympian Louise Shanahan (2:04.17). Sophie O’Sullivan stamped her supremacy on the women’s 1500m by controlling the pace and kicking off the front to win gold in 4:20.45, with Carla Sweeney second in 4:20.45.

Jodie McCann made a bold bid to secure Olympic qualification in the women’s 5000m, the Dublin City Harrier pushing the pace early and coming home a dominant winner in 15:44.80, with Annika Thompson second in 16:13.00. McCann believes she will be outside the quota when the deadline closes tonight but expects up to 10 athletes ahead of her to not take their place, which would see her secure a spot.

Michelle Finn of Leevale took a facile win in the women’s 3000m steeplechase, clocking 10:05.25, with Billy Coogan of Kilkenny City Harriers winning the men’s 3000m steeplechase in 9:11.69. Jennifer Sawyer of St Laurence O’Toole took gold in the women’s 400m hurdles in 60.87.

Reece Ademola took gold in the men’s long jump with 7.76m, which is unlikely to be enough to hoist him into a qualifying position on world rankings for the Olympics, with Bandon’s Shane Howard second with 7.60m.

Elizabeth Ndudi, the reigning European U-20 champion, claimed the women’s title with 6.16m as she continues her preparations for the World U-20 Championships in Peru in August. Matthew Callinan-Keenan claimed victory in the men’s pole vault with 4.75m, Sean Mockler took the men’s hammer with 66.22m, while Niamh Fogarty won the women’s discus with 54.64m.