‘It’s one she really wants’ – Rhasidat Adeleke eyeing up the Irish 100m record at National Championships

For Rhasidat Adeleke, it’s the former, the Dubliner back in town for her last race on home soil before the Olympics. Given the level she’s reached, it’s easy to think she’ll coast to victory at the 123.ie National Championships in Santry, but to get gold, she’ll have to be on her A-game.

Adeleke will race the 100m on Sunday where she is likely to square off with Sarah Lavin, who will first compete in the 100m hurdles tomorrow. Lavin did the golden double last year and went on to break Phil Healy’s Irish 100m record by clocking 11.27 in Switzerland. That’s the sole Irish sprint record not held by Adeleke.

“One of the records she really wants, it’s no secret, is that Irish 100m record,” said Adeleke’s coach Edrick Floreal in February. He’s put a huge focus on improving her sprint mechanics this year and said: “It’s really paid off. It’s a thing of beauty when she does it well.”

Adeleke’s 100m PB is the 11.31 she ran in 2021, but she clocked a blazing 10.84 in Texas in April, which didn’t stand as a national record due to the tailwind of 3.5m/s, well over the legal limit of 2.0. But still, it was proof her speed has hit a whole new level. If conditions are right on Sunday, she could obliterate the Irish record.

Of course, that’s unlikely given Morton Stadium typically has a home-straight headwind. Many were hoping Athletics Ireland would run the sprints on the back straight if the usual conditions prevail so athletes could accrue more world ranking points, but their chair of competition Andrew Lynam said it isn’t possible this weekend due to insufficient technical personnel and equipment.

Adeleke will fly back to Texas after the event before racing in Budapest, Monaco and London ahead of the Games, her coach saying he worked nationals into her programme as “a lot of fans will be expecting her.”

Ciara Mageean will miss the event for a fifth consecutive year, the 32-year-old releasing a statement yesterday saying she has been dealing with fatigue following her magnificent 1,500m gold in Rome earlier this month: “This decision was not made lightly, but it is crucial to prioritise my recovery at this time. I need to focus on getting back to full health to ensure I can put in the hard training sessions necessary to compete with the best in the world.”

Sarah Healy and Sophie O’Sullivan served up a riveting duel last year and the rematch could be on in the women’s 1,500m on Sunday if both toe the line. They’re already qualified for Paris but several others will look to join them when the qualification window closes on Sunday night.

Chief among them is Thomas Barr, who’s currently 38th on the Road to Paris rankings, with 40 set to qualify. A swift time in Sunday’s 400m hurdles final would ensure a place at his third Olympics. Nicola Tuthill is also just inside the cutoff in 31st, with 32 places available in the women’s hammer, as is Sophie Becker in the 400m (46th of 48), Eric Favors in the shot put (29th of 32) and Luke McCann (37th) and Cathal Doyle (43rd) in the 1,500m, with 44 spots available. Kate O’Connor is also within the rankings cut-off in the heptathlon (22nd of 24).

Jodie McCann could secure a place in Paris if she wins the women’s 5,000m in a decent time – she’s currently 50th on the rankings and needs to move into the top-42. Reece Ademola will look to unleash a big effort in the men’s long jump. He’s currently 37th on the rankings list with 32 spots available.

With most finals on Sunday, the women’s 100m hurdles, women’s 200m and men’s 5,000m look the main draws tomorrow. Sharlene Mawdsley will square off with Phil Healy in the 200m while Brian Fay will take on Efrem Gidey, Cormac Dalton, Seán Tobin and Keelan Kilrehill over 5,000m. Becker, Healy and Mawdsley look certain to be selected for the mixed relay in Paris but the men’s 400m final on Sunday could decide who joins them, with Chris O’Donnell facing Jack Raftery, Cillín Greene and Callum Baird.

Both days will be streamed on Athletics Ireland’s YouTube channel, with live coverage on RTÉ Two from 12.45-2.30pm on Sunday. Entrance for adults is €11 each day, with a two-day ticket available for €17. U-16s go free.