Rarely if ever are records broken like this, Rhasidat Adeleke utterly ripping up two laps of the banked track to improve by over a second the Irish indoor 400 metres record, which had stood for 21 years. And she clearly enjoyed doing it.
Competing at the University of New Mexico Collegiate Classic, Adeleke took the win in 50.45 seconds, faster than her own outdoor 400m record, and properly smashing the previous mark of 51.58 which Karen Shinkins clocked back in 2002.
Adeleke is still only 20 and midway through her junior year at the University of Texas, but her latest feat is the fastest time in the world this year – only Olympic gold and silver medallists Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Femke Bol clocking faster times indoors in the last four years. It’s also the third fastest in American collegiate history.
[ Rhasidat Adeleke breaks Irish record and runs world’s fastest 200m this yearOpens in new window ]
It is faster too that her outdoor record of 50.53, clocked when she finished fifth in the European Championship 400m final in Munich last August, run out of the unfavourable lane one, before leading the 4x400m relay team to a final placing, an Irish record on their way there also.
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The track at Albuquerque is known to be fast, benefiting from the mile-high altitude favourable in the sprint and jump events. Still, Adeleke’s time is again ground-breaking in Irish athletics, and her deft move to the front at the bell was perfectly executed.
On the same track, last month, she also broke her own Irish 200m indoor record with a world-leading time of 22.52. It leaves her red-hot favourite to win the NCAA title when the championships take place at the same venue on the second weekend in March.
Elsewhere on Saturday, at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston, Mark English nailed third place over 800m, his 1:46.53 the second fastest time indoors, the win there going to Mariano Garcia of Spain in 1:45.26.
A four-time European medal winner, two indoors and two out, English is on course to challenge for a medal again at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul the first weekend in March.
Andrew Coscoran finished fourth in the men’s mile, equalling his best with 3:53.64, with Luke McCann two places back in 3:54.91. The win there went to Britain’s Neil Gourley in 3:52.94
Brian Fay and Darragh McElhinney mixed it up in a quality 3,000m, ending up sixth and seventh respectively in 7:43.85 and 7:45.79, victory on the night went to the American William Kincaid in 7:40.71
Citing lack of training due to injury, Ciara Mageean dropped out of the 3,000m two-thirds way through, Britain’s Laura Muir winning most impressively in 8:40.34. Roisin Flanagan improved her best to 8:53.50 in 10th place.
