Ireland's Rhasidat Adeleke fourth in Olympic 400m final 

The Dubliner has just missed out on a medal at Paris 2024. 

SO CLOSE: Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke finishes fourth. Pic: Morgan Treacy/Inpho

She gave it everything, exhausted every last fibre of her being, but in the end, Rhasidat Adeleke came up just short of her ultimate goal in the Olympic 400m final on Friday night: fourth.

Medals may be the true currency that count in athletics, but amid the inevitable disappointment in not getting one, there was significant pride to be found in her performance.

She had done absolutely all she could.

The 21-year-old Dubliner hit the line in fourth place, clocking 49.28. Gold went to Marileidy Paulino of Dominican Republic in an Olympic record of 48.17, with Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser taking silver in 48.53 and Natalia Kaczmarek winning bronze in 48.98.

Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke on her way to finishing fourth. Pic: Ryan Byrne/Inpho

Then came Adeleke, who reached the finish completely spent after attacking the race with all she had left, trying desperately to win Ireland its first Olympic medal on the track for 24 years – since Sonia O’Sullivan’s Olympic 5000m silver in Sydney.

In just making the final, Adeleke had already written a piece of history, becoming the first Irish female sprinter to make an Olympic final and the first ever athlete to make a final in a flat sprint event in 100 years of Ireland competing at the Games.

On a warm, damp night at the Stade de France, with drizzle falling in the hour before the race, Adeleke emerged to a huge cheer from the large Irish contingent in the stands. She rocketed out of the blocks, throwing herself into contention with the race favourites and utilising her vast 200m speed over the opening half of the race.

She turned for home in third, just ahead of Kaczmarek, but in the battle to the line, the Pole simply had too much strength and overhauled Adeleke, denying her the medal she had battled so bravely to try and win.