World Athletics Championships, Budapest 2023: Adeleke seeking to scale Paulino and Mcleod hurdles for historic 400m final berth
Rhasidat Adeleke will be looking to scale the surmountable hurdles in the form of Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino and Jamaica’s Candice Mcleod to get
one of the two automatic qualifying tickets to Tuesday’s final of the 400m final.
The Irish 400m record holder was in phenomenal form in the NCAA indoor and outdoor circuit this year, icing a spectacular showing with a 49.20 lifetime best
and a place at the podium as NCAA outdoor 400m champion.
The 20 year old is making her second appearance in World Athletics’ flagship event, the World Championships and will be aiming to go one better than she did
last year in Oregon.
The 20 year old will fancy her chances of making her first global final at the senior level after cruising home first in 50.80 to win her first round heat.
Her most formidable opponent on Monday is definitely Paulino, silver medalist from last year who has been installed as the favourite for the title following the withdrawal of Sydney Maclaughlin-Levrone from the Championships.
The Dominican Republic star is one of just two athletes who have broken 49 seconds this seasaon and her 48.98 lifetime best is the second fastest time in the
world this year behind Maclaughlin-Lvrone’s 48.74.
Also expected to battle for the two automatic qualifying tickets on offer is Mcleod, the 26 year old Jamaican who came fifth at the Olympics in 2021 and
seventh last year in Oregon.
If Adeleke scales the hurdles and qualifies as one the two non-automatic qualifiers, she will be making history as the first Irish athlete to run in the final of the event at the World Athletics Championships.
