There are huge Irish hopes on the shoulders of Rhasidat Adeleke this week, as the week of athletics gets into full swing at the Paris Olympics.
The 21-year-old Irish sprinter has taken huge strides in the 400m in recent years. She holds the Irish record at the distance with a time of 49.07 that was set en route to European silver in June.
Adeleke is right in the mix for a medal in the Olympics, with Irish fans hoping against hope that it could even be gold that comes home from Paris.
She sat out the mixed 4x400m relay in order to fully focus her preparation on the solo race, a move backed by legendary Irish Olympian Sonia O'Sullivan.
Another legendary Olympian has now backed Adeleke for big things, with American Michael Johnson saying gold is indeed a possibility for the Irish sprinter. The ex-sprinter did, however, zero in on one area where Adeleke could potentially push on to a new level.
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Michael Johnson thinks Rhasidat Adeleke can run first half of 400m faster
01 August 2024; Rhasidat Adeleke of Team Ireland during a training session at the Stade de France during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
If Rhasidat Adeleke is to win Olympic gold, she will first have to vanquish Nickisha Pryce, Natalia Kaczmarek, and Marileidy Paulino in what is a hugely unpredictable race for Olympic glory.
Michael Johnson spoke to Cathal Dennehey of the Irish Examiner in Paris and assessed Adeleke's chances of medalling in Paris.
The four-time Olympic gold medalist said that any outcome was possible for Adeleke, including gold. However, he also agreed with one change her coach has sought to bring about of late.
Johnson is familiar with Adeleke's coach Edrick Floreal, who believes that the right way to run the first half of the 400m is to get out of the blocks fast.
Johnson agrees, telling the Irish Examiner that he believes running the first 200m in 23 seconds could help Adeleke to best utilise her strengths in an immensely competitive 400m field.
I’d absolutely agree with Edrick: she’s gotta get out quicker. When you have that kind of speed, when speed is your weapon, you have to use it because you’re not going to be able to match them from a strength standpoint.
The other three are all strength runners and you’ve got to use your weapon and for Rhasidat, that’s speed.
There’s a few different ways you can run 23 seconds in the 200m. You can run it hard or run it relaxed, but when you have her kind of speed you can run it relaxed.
If Rhasidat Adeleke can get out of the blocks quickly in the 400m and establish her challenge early on, anything could be possible for the young Irishwoman.
Round one of the women's 400m gets underway on Monday morning.
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