Irish athlete Rhasidat Adeleke made her mark at the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Championships in the United States, climbing to 20th in the all-time list for the women’s 400m event.
The 20-year-old sprinter broke her own Irish record by an impressive 0.34 seconds, crossing the finish line in 49.20 seconds to secure the NCAA title.
The final was anticipated to be dominated by US star Britton Wilson, but she had to settle for second place with a time of 49.64 seconds. Adeleke’s triumph marked the first victory for an Irish athlete at the NCAAs since 2006 when Mary Cullen triumphed in the 5,000m event.
Despite finishing second, Wilson remains in second place in this year’s world rankings, with the Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino holding the top spot with a time of 48.98 seconds. Wilson couldn’t match her season’s best or personal best time of 49.13 seconds, as Adeleke surged past her in the final 50 meters.
Wilson’s hopes of achieving a historic double in the 400m and 400m hurdles at the championships were dashed, as she finished seventh in the hurdles event with a disappointing time of 55.92 seconds, 1.47 seconds behind the winner, Savannah Sutherland.
Reflecting on her victory, Adeleke expressed her trust in herself and described the race as a bit of a blur. The athlete from Tallaght credited her success to putting herself in a good position coming into the home stretch and her strong finishing kick, which has been a standout feature of her season.
Adeleke’s triumph not only secured her individual success but also contributed to her University of Texas team’s gold medal in the 4x100m relay.
With her stellar performance at the NCAA Championships, Adeleke further strengthens her position as a potential medal contender at the upcoming World Championships in August. In last year’s World Championships in Oregon, she reached the semi-finals in the 400m event and later finished fifth in the distance at the European Championships in Munich.
While Adeleke celebrated her achievement, Sophie O’Sullivan, another Irish athlete and daughter of the legendary Sonia O’Sullivan, faced disappointment in the 1500m final.
O’Sullivan finished 12th and last with a time of 4:22.81, unable to reproduce the form she displayed in the heats where she was the fastest qualifier with a time of 4:09.58. Harvard’s Maia Ramsden emerged as the winner, leaving O’Sullivan over 14 seconds behind.
