ADELEKE SET TO HEADLINE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF NATIONAL TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
The countdown is on to the 150th Anniversary of the 123.ie National Senior Track and Field Championships which take place at Morton Stadium across July 29th and 30th, a championships that is being viewed as one of the most anticipated in recent years given the level of performance from Irish athletes over the course of the season to date.
Set to headline the longest running consecutive national senior track championships in the World is Tallaght’s Rhasidat Adeleke who has continued to hit the headlines both at home and abroad in recent months, no more so than on her first track appearance as a professional athlete earlier this week where she finished just shy of her own Irish 200 metres record with a second-place finish behind 200m specialist Shericka Jackson of Jamaica
The Tallaght sprint star will move back up in distance for her second appearance of the week when she takes her place in this evening’s stacked 400m race at the Diamond League Meet in Monaco where she will take to the starting blocks alongside American Sydney McGlaughlin-Levrone who already boasts a 48:74 this season.
Adeleke broke her own Irish 400m with a 49.20 last month, and given the sequence of her performances this season, another record-breaking display might just be on the cards.
It is expected that Adeleke will return to Dublin next week where she will look to drop down in distance in her bid to defend the women’s 100m title which she claimed in dramatic fashion on the last two occasions. Coincidently, the Irish 100m record is the only sprint record currently not under Adeleke’s ownership, with Phil Healy’s blistering 11.28 from 2018 holding off all challengers to date.
Should all go to form in Morton Stadium on Sunday week, Irish fans can expect to the Adeleke take to the track for the 100m final at 7.45pm as she bids to make it three-in-a-row.
Away from the sprinting exploits of Rhasidat Adeleke, a host of recent record breakers and medals winners are also set to take their place at the newly renovated Morton Stadium. Andrew Coscoran (Star of the A.C.) broke his own Irish 1500m record with a sensational performance at the Silesia Diamond League meeting in Chorzow recently, clocking an incredible time of 3.30.42 to knock over two seconds off his previous best that he recorded in Nice last month. Expect the Star of the Sea athlete to be red hot favourite for the national 1500m crown if he shows no ill effects from his appearance at Sunday’s Diamond League Meet in London.
Nick Griggs (Candour Track Club) is another who could opt for the 1500m at nationals. Griggs lowered his own Irish U20 Mile Record at the recent Morton Games, finishing third against a top-class field in 3.55.73.
Brian Fay (Raheny Shamrocks A.C.) has also been in record breaking form recently, smashing the long-standing national 5000m record with an outstanding 13.01.40 last weekend. Fay is currently entered in the 5,000m at nationals (6.05pm Sunday).
Also set to her place in Morton Stadium next week is recent European U23 gold medallist Sophie O’Sullivan who confirmed in Espoo last week that nationals was next on her race calendar. A rematch with teammate Sarah Healy (UCD AC) looks on the cards in the 1500m, while the race could be made all the more intriguing depending on where 800/1500m record-holder Ciara Mageean lines up (currently entered in both). Mageean will also take her place in the Diamond League Meet in Monaco this evening.
All the action from the 123.ie National Senior Track and Field Championships will be streamed on the Athletics Ireland YouTube Channel across both days, with live RTE coverage from 6pm on Sunday July 30th.
A full event preview and further information will be released early next week.