Rhasidat Adeleke misses out on European Championships qualifying time in 200m heat

Irish sprinter Rhasidat Adeleke secured a victory in her 200-meter heat at the National Championships in Santry on Saturday, but fell short of the qualifying standard for the upcoming European Championships. The 23-year-old athlete crossed the finish line in 23.32 seconds, failing to meet the A-standard of 22.85 seconds.

Strong headwinds significantly impacted performances on the day. Despite the wind easing slightly by the 1 p.m. race start, Adeleke still faced a challenging -0.9m/s headwind. This marks her first race at home in Ireland in two years, having previously won the 100m title in 2024.

Adeleke had also missed the qualifying time in Lucerne last week, running 23.07 seconds. Her personal best and national record stands at 22.34 seconds, set in 2023. The qualification window for the European Championships closes at midnight on Sunday.

While Adeleke has abandoned her pursuit of qualifying for the 400m, where she won silver two years ago, she may still participate in the women's 4x400m relay. In other events, Benji Richardson won the first men's 200m heat in 21.24 seconds, and Seán Aigboboh won the second heat in 20.97 seconds.