Adeleke blasts to victory at Monaco Diamond League

VICTORY: Rhasidat Adeleke blazed to her first ever victory on the Diamond League circuit at Meeting Herculis in Monaco tonight, the 21-year-old Dubliner clocking 49.17 to win the 400m. Picture: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

As she heads down the home straight towards the Paris Olympics, things couldn’t be looking much better for Rhasidat Adeleke. The 21-year-old Dubliner powered to her first ever victory on the Diamond League circuit at Meeting Herculis in Monaco tonight, clocking 49.17 for 400m.

That left a decent field of world-class women trailing far behind, with Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands second in 49.64 and US champion Kendall Ellis third in 50.39.

Adeleke went out hard and ran with Klaver around the last turn but the Dubliner was by far the stronger coming home, clocking the second fastest time of her career and her quickest ever outside of a major championship. “It felt really good, a controlled run, very smooth,” said Adeleke.

She will have one more race before the Paris Olympics – at the London Diamond League next weekend. This was her first 400m since the European final in Rome, where she broke the Irish record with 49.07, the second fastest time by a European this century. Adeleke said a medal is “absolutely” the goal in Paris. “I think I'm well capable and my coaches have me ready to be able to peak at the right time. So hopefully I'll be there when it matters.” There were worrying signs, however, for Ciara Mageean, the European 1500m champion well off the pace in the 2000m and coming home a detached 10th in 5:43.06. Australia’s Jessica Hull continued her astonishing form by breaking the world record with 5:19.70.

Earlier in the night, USA’s Rai Benjamin came out on top in a thrilling three-way showdown in the men’s 400m hurdles, clocking 46.67 to beat Olympic champion Karsten Warholm (46.73) to the line, with 2022 world champion Alison Dos Santos of Brazil third in 47.18. Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen put down a huge marker ahead of Paris by powering to victory in the 1500m in a European record of 3:26.73.

Meanwhile at the Morton Games in Dublin, Tyrone teenager Nick Griggs produced a huge performance to smash Darragh McElhinney’s Irish U-23 record for 5000m by four seconds, coming home a close second behind Amos Langat of Kenya in 13:13.07. Griggs had broken another of McElhinney’s Irish U-23 records, over 3000m, earlier this week in Cork.

“I knew I had that in me after Cork and I thought I could run under 13:10, I was probably a bit delusional to think that, but I can’t be disappointed with 13:13,” said Griggs. “I was sticking to him the whole time and in the last 200m I just didn’t have it, I was hurting quite a bit.” 

Cathal Doyle produced a thrilling win in the Morton Mile, kicking to victory in 3:52.06 ahead of USA’s Sam Prakel and a fast-finishing Brian Fay, who clocked a 53-second last lap to take third in 3:52.41. “This is the one I always wanted since I was 14, it means a lot,” said Doyle, who said he “felt terrible” for much of the race. “I did not feel good and was struggling the third lap, but the last 100m it was there and I got the kick going. To run that time, I’m blown away.” 

Sarah Lavin continued her winning ways, taking victory in the 100m hurdles in 12.82 (-0.7m/s) ahead of Liberia’s Ebony Morrison (12.92). “You’re never going to have the perfect race, but I got out a lot better,” said Lavin. “They are fast girls, they didn’t make it easy for me but it was great to get the win. I’ll do one more (race) in Luxembourg on the 21st and then it’s straight into camp. I’m training hard at the moment, taking every day as it comes and using these opportunities to correct things under pressure. We’re 26 days out now and every single one of them counts.” 

Sophie O’Sullivan produced a strong run to finish second in the women’s 1500m in 4:05.77, with Britain’s Shannon Flockhart taking victory in 4:04.98. Israel Olatunde and fellow Irishman Bori Akinola finished fifth and sixth respectively in the men’s 100m, both men clocking 10.49 in a race won by USA’s Coby Hilton in 10.30. Edmund Du Plessis of South Africa produced a spectacular stadium record in the men’s 800m of 1:44.22.