Two weeks before the Games start, Rhasidat Adeleke gave her prospects of winning the 400 meters a huge boost on Friday night, the Monaco Diamond League being one of the most telling Olympic dress rehearsals. Adeleke set a personal best time of 49.17 seconds, barely missing her Irish mark of 49.07 set last month when she won the silver medal at the European Championship in Rome, in a performance that was both exquisitely poised and completely dominating.
Her former Dutch opponent Lieke Klaver, who raised her lifetime best to 46.64 seconds, finished in second place. After winning their Olympic Trials last month, Kendall Ellis from the United States finished considerably back in third place with a time of 50.39. Actually, they were always vying for the smaller spots; Adeleke was the first to emerge from the starting blocks inside Stade Louis II, taking the lead in lane five and putting some gap between herself and Ellis in the lane inside her.
Adeleke’s coach Edrick Floreal made no secret of the fact that he wanted her to tackle the opening 200 meters with a lot more intensity following her silver medal performance in Rome, and the 21-year-old accomplished just that, clocking practically 22 seconds. Adeleke kept her form all the way to the finish line, appearing appropriately happy with her work. Klaver was the only competitor who was near as they approached the homestretch. Adeleke was ahead by a few yards.
She remarked, “It felt really good.” It seemed, you know, like a well-executed controlled run. Really fluid. The way that went makes me very happy. I’m excited to see how I perform because I believe I’m in a good position for the remainder of the season. Alright, let’s continue our training, maintain our composure, stay centered, and follow my coach’s instructions. Stay on top of things. Each and every tiny percentage that contributes the remaining 100% to a successful outcome. I simply need to keep my attention on the Olympics and remain focused.
Is winning a medal the new objective in Paris? Without a doubt. That is the objective. I believe I am quite competent. And my coaches have prepared me so that I can reach my best when it’s time. Thus, ideally, I’ll be available when it counts. Adeleke was competing in her first event since setting a new national record last Sunday week when she won the Irish 100-meter gold in 11.13. With the race, she broke 52 records overall, setting all the sprint records for every age group.
Following a week-long training camp in Sweden, Adeleke arrived in Monaco and will spend one final race there before heading to Paris for the London Diamond League race on Saturday. Karsten Warholm of Norway, Rai Benjamin of the USA, and Alison dos Santos of Brazil engaged in a bout in the men’s 400-meter hurdles, providing additional proof of the high caliber of the contest. With 46.67 seconds to Warholm’s 46.73, Benjamin won.