Adeleke qualifies for Europeans with 22.80 200m at Irish National Championships

Heat struggles and headwinds

Adeleke’s path to the final was not straightforward. In the morning heat she could only manage 23.32 seconds into a -0.9m/s headwind, well outside the 22.85 A-standard required for the European Championships. The 23-year-old had also fallen short in Lucerne a week earlier, clocking 23.07. Lauren Roy won the first heat in 23.89 (-2.2m/s), while Sharlene Mawdsley took the third heat in 23.50 (-0.6m/s). All three entered the final knowing it was the last chance to secure a Birmingham berth before the Sunday midnight deadline.

Final: qualification by a whisker

Adeleke produced the performance she needed when it mattered most. She crossed the line in 22.80 seconds, just five hundredths inside the 22.85 standard, claiming her first national outdoor 200m title and setting a championship record. Roy finished second in 23.49, beating Lorena Harrison, but the race was marred by Mawdsley pulling up injured.

It's been a rough year. I didn't really have expectations, I just wanted to come out here in front of a home crowd and show up and whatever happens, happens.

Adeleke, who spoke to Athletics Ireland TV after the race, added that the home support had lifted her spirits after a difficult period with injuries.

It's been so much fun this year and I'm still carrying my form all the way through, it's been a long season. I'm looking forward to going to the Europeans. Obviously the Nationals are very important but we're still building to the Europeans.

A comeback after injury

Adeleke’s victory marks a return to form after a trying 12 months. The Dubliner won 400m silver at the 2024 European Championships in Rome and was part of the mixed relay gold alongside Mawdsley, but injuries have disrupted her progress since. Saturday’s final was her first race on home soil since she won the 100m title in 2024. She has given up chasing individual qualification in the 400m, though she may still feature in the women’s 4x400m relay.

Men’s 200m heats

Elsewhere on the track, the men’s 200m heats offered a glimpse of emerging Irish sprint talent. Benji Richardson, competing in Ireland for the first time since transferring from South Africa, won the opening heat in 21.24 seconds. However, recent Irish record holder Seán Aigboboh ran the quickest time of the round, taking the second heat in 20.97 seconds.

What comes next

The European Athletics Championships begin in Birmingham in two weeks, with the qualification window closing at midnight on Sunday. Roy will also run the 100m on the second day of the National Championships. For Adeleke, the immediate focus is on recovery and building towards the Europeans, while Mawdsley’s injury status remains uncertain.