Rhasidat Adeleke brilliantly nailed her last chance to qualify in the 200 metres for next month’s European Championships when clocking 22.80 seconds on day one of the National Championships in Santry.
Adeleke was looking to hit the A-standard of 22.85 seconds, and rising to the occasion and the home crowd, the Tallaght AC sprinter powered home to clock the required time, despite running into a -1.1 headwind.
Lauren Roy was second in 23.49 seconds, Sharlene Mawdsley pulling up with what looked like a hamstring injury around the bend.
Adeleke had been short of the 200m qualifying time in Lucerne last week, running 23.07 seconds in fourth on that occasion, and well off her national 200m record of 22.34, set back in 2023.
The qualification deadline for the European Championships is midnight on Sunday, before the event begins two weeks later in Birmingham. Adeleke had given up the chase to qualify for the 400m, the event in which she won silver in Rome two years ago, but has now booked her ticket in the 200m and could also feature as part of the women’s 4x400m relay.