Adeleke scorches to maiden Diamond League win in Monaco

Rhasidat Adeleke scorched to a first ever Diamond League victory on Friday nght, turning on the style to win the 400m in Monaco.

The Tallaght native ran 49.17 – her second fastest time ever – to beat the Netherlands’ Lieke Klaver and USA’s Kendall Ellis, both of whom will be competing at the Olympic Games in a few weeks.

It was a tenth of a second slower than she ran last month to take silver in the European Championships in Rome.

Adeleke looked comfortable throughout the race, even as Klaver put pressure on going down the home straight.

“It was a great one, I think it was well executed,” she said afterwards.

“I was very controlled, very relaxed. I was able to take control of the run from the start. I didn’t know where I was going but it’s good to have the contrast from being on the outside and the inside so I can know how to run in the proper way when I go to the Olympics.

“I was running a bit scared, because I was on the outside of my main competitors.

“It felt really good, I’ve wanted a Diamond League win for a really long time. To have it here, in this beautiful stadium, I’m really grateful.”

Looking ahead to Paris and beyond, Adeleke added: “The four (hundred) is my race but I think I’ve a lot of potential in the one (hundred) and the two (hundred). I kind of have unfinished business in those events. I’m looking forward to the next couple of years as a professional so I can dibble and dabble in different events.”

It was not such a good evening for Ciara Mageean, who is struggling to recreate her European 1500m gold medal form as the Paris Games loom – finishing 10th in the 2000m in a time of 5:43.06.