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LAST UPDATE | 9 Aug 2024
RHASIDAT ADELEKE HAS come fourth in the final of the women’s 400m at the Olympic Games in Paris.
The 21-year-old from Tallaght is the first Irish woman to ever compete in an Olympic sprint final.
Adeleke clocked in with a time of 49.28 seconds to claim fourth spot at the Stade de France.
Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic took home the gold medal with a time of 48.17 seconds, with Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser claiming silver at 48.53 seconds.
Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek rounded out the top three and took home the bronze medal with a time of 48.98.
Speaking to RTÉ after the race, Adeleke said she was “a bit disappointed” and added that the “race went by so quickly”.
“That was all I had today.”
She added: “It just comes down to experience, and further down the line, I will gain that repetition and confidence going forward and I’ll know how to put it together for the perfect race.”
"I wanted it today. I've been working for it today. It didn't happen today. It's just life, it's sport." - Rhasidat Adeleke reacts to her fourth-placed finish in the women's 400m final. Disappointment, but a determination to come back even stronger ☘️ #Paris2024 #RTEsport pic.twitter.com/uiRcsBpeh2
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 9, 2024
And while Adeleke said she will take a lot of positives from today, she added: “I didn’t come here to participate, I came here to win a medal.
“It didn’t happen, but hopefully in the next couple of years I’ll be able to sharpen up and use that experience to put myself on the podium.
“I wanted it today, I’ve been working for it today, but it didn’t happen today. This is life, this is sport, things aren’t always going to go your way, but it’s about how you bounce back and how you take this and make your future better.
“I’m going to take this experience, take this hurt, and keep working. I’m as hungry as ever and hopefully in the future there’ll be more podiums.”
Adeleke thanked her family and coach for their support, as well as her fans in the stadium.
Adeleke secured an automatic place in the 400m final after finishing second in her semi-final on Wednesday night with a time of 49.94 seconds.
She described Wednesday’s race as ”very messy” but added that she was excited to “get into the final and fix everything”.
She is only the third Irish athlete to qualify for an Olympic sprint final, after Bob Tisdall in 1932 and Thomas Barr in 2016. Given they achieved theirs over hurdles, Adeleke is in a league of her own.
Speaking to reporters, she said she will line up with her Ireland teammates at 8.15pm (Irish time).
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It’s funny. I have zero interest in swimming, but put an Irish person in the Olympics and I’ll support and celebrate like a lifelong fan. Great swim and really took off in the last 50m
Brilliant swim Daniel. Such a pleasure to watch you. Well done
Brilliant result. There won’t be a cow milked in Co Down tonight.
@Greg Ward: Armagh
@Joe Pancreas: Pathetic
@Joe Pancreas: Do British people stand up for the Irish national anthem all of a sudden? Or are you just a jealous little person?
@Joe Pancreas: ***Troll Alert***
@Joe Pancreas: Your magh
@Joe Pancreas: But represents Ireland. What’s your real agenda here?
@Paul Gorry: His agenda is he’s going for the gold medal at being an attention seeking dose, and is likely to hold on to win!
@Joe Pancreas: The state of someone comparing the ” Olympics ” with the “eurovison ” says a lot about you.
@Sarah O’Sullivan: Fact Sarah
@Greg Ward: Sorry to ask but I arrived late and the post(s) of the Joe Pancreas individual appear to have been removed. What did he say? I don’t want to get anyone banned so just the gist will do. Just curious about the backlash.
@Social Guy: This highlights a much more relevant issue around censorship and the stifling of debate. A person made a comment and this comment generated significant counter debate. It was then summarily deleted, destroying the entire context of that debate in order to do what?
Must I be protected from words now? It’s patronising beyond belief.
Oh wow. What a race. What a performance. Absolutely stunning! Well done Daniel. Come on, Ireland!!!!
What a swimmer gold medal and new Olympic record. Congratulations Daniel
Armagh seems to be the place to be these days.
@Joe Pancreas: Imagine craving as much attention as you do!
@Joe Pancreas: why not.educate yourself before spouting nonsense. Armagh is not in Great Britain.
@Joe Pancreas: Amadán. Britain is an island to our east.
@Joe Pancreas: Troll alert
@Joe Pancreas: N Ireland is in the UK, not Britain. Citizens are also entiteled to dual citizenship or the prefered citizenship of their choice
And an Olympic Record too, amazing swam 75% without using his legs to full capacity hit 3rd last turn and turned them on. And this isn’t his favoured event 1500m is so expect more from him.
@Paul O’Mahoney: & without a performance enhancing substances/ missed drug tests scandal too
Well done ,well done ,oh yess
Oh wow what a race. Unreal
Brilliant from wiffey! Super super wiffey!
Some week for Ulster……
@james rowan: And Ulster. The 9 counties of Ulster are in Ireland.
@Sal Paradise: how many??
@Maurice Mulcahy: Lol, Could have sworn I heard Amhrán na bhFiann and seen the try colour over his head. Didn’t see the red hand of ulster anywhere.
@Sal Paradise: the nine ?! I mean that was proposed right but is this like that Lost episode with Desmond & Penny, are you using time travel? Lol
@Iano C: The 9 counties of the Ulster. Derry, Antrim, Down, Tyrone, Armagh, Fermanagh, Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal.
@S Suilleabhain: You should use time travel and work on your education. Not knowing there are 9 counties in Ulster is a bit embarrassing really. Just in case you didn’t know, there are 6 countries in what is known as Northern Ireland.
Delighted and congratulations! One of the few things that made me smile today, thanks.
Brilliant
What a swimmer brilliant stuff
What a finish
They said he couldn’t swim in the paddle pool, he swam in the paddle pool. They said he couldn’t swim in the big pool he swam in the big pool. They said he was tall enough to compete, he grew another foot to compete, the said he couldn’t win tight races, he won tight race, they said he couldn’t win an Olympic medal, HE WENT AND WON THE OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL
A class act,congratulations Daniel
Well done Daniel, your country is very proud of you and all the Irish athletes competing in the Olympics
@James Carolan: Since he’s also competing in the commonwealth games, can the UK not also somewhat claim this one?
@Wolfgang Bonow: He’s not in team GB so no.
@Wolfgang Bonow: I’m pretty sure there isn’t a UK team competing here.
Claire Balding on BBC just couldn’t wait to tell us that Northern Ireland will be celebrating tonight.
@Joe Pancreas: Troll Alert…
@Jp Cleary: Yes I picked up on that straight away too, she wanted to emphasize Northern Ireland as a separate nation, that, that interpretation of hers, had some claim to Daniels success, when he very deliberately was representing the nation of Ireland and I’m sure in his mind, the island of Ireland during a very patriotic moment. At the very least, it was an ill conceived, untimely comment to make. Perhaps some of her hereditary noble background may have cultivated her mind in such ways.
I’m no fan of swimming or any of the sports in the Olympics, but that man just won a gold medal for Ireland so cut this $$$$$ about north and south, well done Daniel ya done yourself your family and ireland proud. fair play to ya and don’t mind the begrudgers
Made my evening, what a quiet horse. Very humble.
Superb display of determination
@Gerald Kelleher: Explain? Oh wait don’t bother lol
@Paul Gorry: To love what is best requires confidence, talent, and a lot of effort.
In my circle of influence, nobody comes close yet, in future, others will do better.
I adore the effort of friendly competition instead of the isolated bunch of know-nothing theorists and their many imitators here.
@Gerald Kelleher: Jaysus me and my big mouth. I should have known better. Ah well, ye live and learn .I think!!
That’s a lovely Irish accent Lol .. We’ll claim he though , no bother …. What an amazing athlete !!
@Quinny: yeah there are many many lovely irish accents. Different accents from Welford to Letterkenny and from Cork to Belfast.
@Kevin Dillon: where’s Welford?
@Seamus McLaughlin: oh look, it’s the typo police out in force. If you’re smart enough you’d have figured the typo out.
Ireland, Top of the World, now let’s get greedy
3 seconds off an Olympic record….Michelle De Bruin springs to mind
@DJ Points: what a spanner.
Fantastic swim young man. Congratulations. You make me and our country proud.
Well done, on a serious note he will be on the high tax rate after hitting gold.
The big one tomorrow henry longfellow sussex stakes.
@Robert Bell:Augusta Rodin didnt fair tó Well
@Michael o Dwyer: nope but kyprios did.
It was absolutely electric to watch
Little in it between him, the Italian and the American
BOOM
Now you’ve heard of him.
Brilliant performance from Daniel. But Mickey d should not be allowed to send congrats owing to drug taking past. Wrong that he is on 5k a week.
@rory Mcgovern: yeah, should let Martin and Harris do the licking.
2 more golds and a bronze to go…
What, at the Royal St George? Tut, tut.
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