Irish athletics fans may have to wait a little longer for the return of Rhasidat Adeleke to the Diamond League. Despite widespread anticipation surrounding her 400m season debut in China this weekend, the Tallaght AC star is a notable absentee from the published startlist released for the Shanghai/Keqiao meeting.
While media reports last month confirmed Adeleke’s intention to compete against an elite field including the likes of Salwa Eid Naser and Amber Anning, the official entry list for the women’s 400m now features just nine names, with the Irish record holder not among them.
Still, startlists remain subject to late changes, though the absence of Ireland’s premier sprinter at this stage suggests an adjustment to her early season schedule. Whether this is a precautionary measure or a tactical shift toward later Diamond League meetings remains to be seen.
The Dubliner has already tested the waters this outdoor season with a solid 22.86 over 200m in the United States, though the 400m remains her primary focus. Her team, led by coach Edrick Floréal, is clearly viewing her 2026 return through the lens of a broader championship build up, prioritising a clean bill of health to ensure she is firing on all cylinders as the qualification window for the European Championships in August intensifies. Adeleke has yet to secure an automatic qualifying mark over 400m for the continental championships, making race selection and timing particularly important in the weeks ahead.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Adeleke, Irish athletics fans will still have a major interest in the men’s 800m. Mark English, the perennial maestro of Irish middle distance running, has been confirmed for the two lap battle in Shanghai.
The Donegal man will face a stacked field featuring some of the biggest names in global middle distance running. Australia’s Peter Bol, the Olympic finalist and former Commonwealth silver medallist, arrives with a personal best of 1:42.55, while Britain’s Ben Pattison is the 2023 World Championship bronze medallist and one of Europe’s premier 800m operators. Kenya’s Wyclife Kinyamal, another major threat, is a former Diamond League champion with a blistering lifetime best of 1:42.08.
English enters the outdoor season on a massive high following a stellar indoor campaign. The Donegal man proved he is in the form of his life back in January when he shattered his own Irish indoor 800m record, clocking a world class 1:44.65 in Luxembourg.
This weekend marks his first Diamond League appearance since July of last year at the London Stadium. On that occasion, the veteran campaigner produced a solid performance to record 1:44.07. Now 33, but seemingly faster than ever, English will be eyeing another fast time as he tests himself against the world’s best in China.
