Mark English, Rhasidat Adeleke and Sharlene Mawdsley will carry Irish hopes at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest this weekend.
The three athletes were named on the final entry lists, which feature 381 competitors from 65 federations. English will contest the men’s 800m, Adeleke goes in the women’s 200m and Mawdsley lines up over 400m.
For a time, it appeared Andrew Coscoran would make it four. The European 1500m bronze medallist occupied the 13th and final position on the provisional tracker on the last day of qualification, only one ranking point ahead of Morocco’s Anass Essayi. By the time the final list was settled, however, Coscoran had fallen to 16th in the qualification order, three positions outside the quota of 13.
Adeleke benefited from movement in the other direction. She had been outside the provisional women’s 200m quota, but invitations moved down the rankings as athletes above her did not take their spots. World Athletics records Adeleke as qualifying through the world rankings, where she was 22nd with 1,228 points, rather than through an exceptional invitation.
There will be no gentle opening round in Budapest. Each individual track event has a field of 16, divided between two semi finals. The first four athletes from each race progress to the final.
The new three day championship brings the world’s leading athletes together for a compact season finale, backed by a record prize fund of $10 million. Individual champions will collect $150,000.
English Returns Following European Triumph
Mark English has not raced since winning the European 800m title in Birmingham last month, bringing an outstanding campaign to its biggest moment so far.
The FInn Valley athlete began the year by lowering his Irish indoor 800m record to 1:44.23 before producing the fastest outdoor run of his career at the London Diamond League. His time of 1:42.97 placed him firmly among the leading 800m athletes in the world.
English then delivered two very different performances at the European Championships. He tore through his semi final in 1:43.49, breaking a championship record which had stood for 48 years. One day later, he trusted his renowned finishing speed to win a tactical final in 1:45.26.
Budapest represents another step up. Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Djamel Sedjati and Marco Arop lead a loaded field, with English ranked sixth among the entrants by season best.
He arrives rested, in the form of his life and with the confidence that comes from finally securing the major outdoor title which had eluded him for more than a decade.
Adeleke Eyeing Up Another Big Championship Performance
Rhasidat Adeleke has endured a tumultuous season, with two separate hamstring problems each costing her around four weeks of training.
Her return to the individual 400m at the Prefontaine Classic produced a difficult 52.26 performance, leaving her well short of qualification for the event at the European Championships. Adeleke instead turned her attention to the 200m, winning the national title before gradually finding her speed in Birmingham.
A 22.43 season best carried her into the European final, where she produced her finest performance of the campaign. Adeleke ran an Irish record of 22.28 to take silver behind Amy Hunt, holding off Dina Asher Smith by one hundredth of a second.
Her first race since Birmingham was more subdued. Adeleke finished sixth over 200m in Brescia last week, clocking 22.85 as Favour Ofili won a high quality contest in 22.03. It was a clear step back from her European performance, though hardly a disaster after such a fractured campaign.
The Dubliner will need to find her Birmingham form again in Budapest. The field includes world champion Melissa Jefferson Wooden, Olympic champion Gabby Thomas and European champion Hunt, with the semi finals and final both taking place on Sunday evening.
Mawdsley Makes Timely Return
Sharlene Mawdsley had one of the best starts of any Irish athlete to their outdoor campaign this season.
The Newpost AC sprinter lowered her personal best four times in six weeks, running 50.52 in Savona, 50.17 in Brussels, 50.14 in Hengelo and finally 50.06 at the Paris Diamond League. Breaking 50 seconds appeared to be only a matter of time.
That momentum was halted when Mawdsley tore her hamstring during the 200m final at the National Championships in July. The injury forced her to miss the European Championships, where she had been selected for both the individual 400m and the women’s relay.
After six weeks without racing, Mawdsley returned in Rovereto on Tuesday night and immediately resumed winning. She finished strongly to overhaul Britain’s Charlotte Henrich and take victory in 50.58 seconds.
It was the sixth fastest 400m of her career. All six of those performances have come during this remarkable season.
The Budapest field is unforgiving, with 12 entrants having broken 50 seconds this year. Mawdsley will need to be close to her best to finish among the first four in her semi final, but Tuesday’s victory provided a resounding answer to the immediate questions surrounding her fitness.
Irish Schedule
All times are Irish time.
Friday, 11 September
⏰ 6.38pm – Sharlene Mawdsley – Women’s 400m – Semi Finals
Saturday, 12 September
⏰ 5.08pm – Sharlene Mawdsley – Women’s 400m – Final (Subject to Qualification)
⏰ 5.26pm – Mark English – Men’s 800m – Semi Finals
Sunday, 13 September
⏰ 5.44pm – Rhasidat Adeleke – Women’s 200m – Semi Finals
⏰ 6.41pm – Mark English – Men’s 800m – Final (Subject to Qualification)
⏰ 7.49pm – Rhasidat Adeleke – Women’s 200m – Final (Subject to Qualification)
How to Watch
No Irish broadcaster has secured coverage of the championship. A livestream will be available via World Athletics for Irish viewers. The BBC will carry all three evenings live on TV. Run Republic will bring you viewing details each day.
Best of luck to all three Irish athletes in action this weekend.
