Adeleke 4th, English Impresses in Oslo 400m Showdown
Rhasidat Adeleke finished fourth in a thrilling women’s 400m event at the Oslo Diamond League, marking her first appearance over the distance this season. Adeleke 4th, English impresses in Oslo 400m as both Irish athletes delivered strong performances against elite fields. The 22-year-old Dubliner clocked 50.42 seconds as she continues building momentum ahead of the World Championships in Tokyo this September. Despite missing the indoor season and delaying her season debut over 400m, Adeleke held her own in a high-quality field. American Isabella Whittaker took the win in 49.58 seconds, narrowly ahead of Norway’s Henriette Jaeger, who thrilled the home crowd with a national record time of 49.62 seconds. The race ended in dramatic fashion as Whittaker surged past Jaeger in the final stretch to secure victory.
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A Competitive Field With Big Names
World Indoor champion Amber Anning of Britain just edged Adeleke to claim third place, showcasing her top form ahead of the summer championship season. Adeleke finished ahead of some familiar names, including Like Klaver of the Netherlands, who placed fifth with 50.64 seconds. Polish star Natalia Bukowiecka, formerly Kaczmarek—who narrowly beat Adeleke to both the European title in Rome and Olympic bronze in Paris—finished sixth. Adeleke now sets her sights on Sunday’s Diamond League meet in Stockholm, where she’ll look to improve her season best and gain more racing sharpness ahead of Tokyo.
English Delivers Another Stellar Performance
Meanwhile, Mark English continued his impressive run of form in the men’s 800m. The Donegal native finished seventh in a top-class field with a time of 1:44.33—his second-fastest performance ever. The race was won by Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi in 1:42.78, a blistering pace that pushed the rest of the field to their limits. English has been on a record-breaking streak, recently becoming the first Irishman to dip below 1:44 in the 800m. That historic feat came earlier this week at the FBK Games in the Netherlands, where he bettered his own national record for the second time in just 11 days. After winning European bronze in March, the 32-year-old now stands just behind Sonia O’Sullivan in Ireland’s all-time medal standings at major championships.
