Athletics 2024 (Mod note #869)

Ryath

Still on Player

https://www.rte.ie/player/onnow/82100776270

Armand Duplantis going for Pole Vault world record 6.25!

fits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122252449#Comment_122252449

and I’ll be there to see it.

Hamachi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122252248#Comment_122252248

Great assessment.

GB will be in the mix in the Olympics for sure. There’s also Jamaica and Canada usually has a decent squad. Bronze medal is a possibility though.

yerwanthere123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122252568#Comment_122252568

Same!

Did you smash it

what do athletics aficionados think will be the story coming out of these entire games. Ireland would be one of the stories but what would be the biggest ones?

Pherekydes

Medal presentation women's 4x4 on RTE player right now!

deisedude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122252154#Comment_122252154

When you consider how the other girls are only coming to their peaks nows and Adeleke is only 21. She is way ahead of schedule in her development

Hamachi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122252629#Comment_122252629

It really is how competitive European Championships are; the high standards across the board. Some of the events / finals are just about on par with what we will see in Paris in August.

Biggest stories for me:

Jakob Ingebritsen is over his injury. The Olympic double is on.
Alexander Doom is a legitimate threat for Olympic 400m gold. Natalia Kaczmarek will be very close to or on the podium in the 400m, which of course means that Rhasidat Adeleke has a great shot at bagging a medal in Paris.
Marcell Jacobs is coming back into form, but I can’t see him repeating his heroics in Tokyo.
Femke Bol is a generational talent but she will not beat Sydney McLaughlin in Paris.

Pherekydes

Great to see the subs getting their medals on the podium with their teammates.

patob

Incredible games for the Irish no doubt, a huge boost to the profile of track and field. Otherwise the Italians had a super games and medal haul, Tamberi put on some show last night in the High Jump, what a showman, and the Battocletti double was hugely impressive.

ahnowbrowncow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122252241#Comment_122252241

And without her they wouldn't have got a silver medal. It's about perspective.

Cosmo Kramer

A top 10 finish on the medal table. Norway the only country with a similar population to place higher. Great to see the progress and it feels like the team has really captured the wider public interest now.

Pherekydes

Fiona May presenting her own daughter with the mascot during the long jump ceremony. 🥹

RoscommonHero

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122252054#Comment_122252054

This is incorrect.

Adeleke was the fastest of the Irish girls. By the way Mawdsley didn't just live with Bol on the last leg, she ran more than half a second faster than her. Bol looked tired to me, but Mawdsley I'm sure was knackered aswell. The deciding factor could have been the fact that all but one of our ladies ran in the semi-final.

To be hyper-critical I would say that Becker went out too quickly and died late on, she ran a 52 second split and was sixth on the first leg despite being second after 300 metres. She ran about half a second slower than she did in the semi-final. As did Healy who again made the mistake of going out too fast and dying in the last 75 metres, however as a frontrunner it's harder to judge pace so that's fair enough.

Mawdsley was gutsy as usual on the last leg. I think we would have won gold if Becker and Healy ran similar times to the semi-final as I think even Bol was tired on the Dutch last leg, perhaps from the 400m hurdles exploits. I think the gold was there for us but it's still an amazing achievement, and they have done incredibly well. I just think they can go even a second faster at their very very best.

RoscommonHero

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122252248#Comment_122252248

I don't think we will qualify for an Olympic final without Adeleke, although it could depend on how competitive our heat is. We might get a handy draw but I doubt it. I think the best case scenario is we run 3:24 or just under without Adeleke and it may well not be enough to qualify at the olympics.

In 2021 olympics the slowest time to qualify for the 4 x 400 metres final was 3:24:08, our semi-final qualification in this tournament was 3:24.81 and that was with all four of them running at their peak (Becker, Healy and Mawdsley all ran slower in the final)

By the way, even if we do qualify for the final, we will need to run at least 3:21 to medal, we just ran a national record of 3:22:71

If we qualify, if all four ladies have trained well, are not too tired and really put in an amazing performance and run their best race, I think we could do 3:21.5 if all the stars align on the day for us, that might or might not be enough for bronze, but that's only if all four of them absolutely smash it.

That's how I see it, so I don't think we should be heaping pressure on them ahead of the Olympics and expecting medals, but I bet our media will do just that. It will be an absolutely phenomenal performance to medal at an Olympics and I think the chances are against qualifying without Adeleke.

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122252903#Comment_122252903

I think the Dutch would've won regardless.

I think Bol was taking it easy.

orangerhyme

Adeleke's a ridiculous talent.

We were coming 4th at that start of her leg and 1st by the end.

She knocks about 2 seconds off our time.

We'd win nothing without her.

geotrig

yeah think the Dutch had it no matter what unless a batten drop or some disaster , Klaver ran a very good 1st leg compared to the mixed 2nd leg in the mixed4x4 which set them up really well overall, good team management there from them.

I do agree that I thought bol looked a bit tired but had enough in the bag to win regardless if she was pushed. Mawdsley also looked a bit tired but not as much the rest behind her set off too hard i think so where nearly all going to run out of steam great to get another medal and delighted for them, really enjoyed watching these games when i could get the rte player working.Some good medaling and contests by countries that Dont always do well.

It'll be very tough for either the mixed or w 4x4 to get to a final in olympics but **** me theres hope and gives us something to look forward too and cheer !

hurdles1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122252903#Comment_122252903

Great night for Irish athletics for the team to medal, but I think Roscommonhero gives a fairly accurate assement of the relay over the last week and going forward.

It's amazing how many people are now experts on split times formations etc..media now bigging it up

As a few have said here the reality is if sharlene didn't run in the semi no final or medal.. we won't see Rhasidat competing in any mixed relay again that's on before her main event and will only come in for a final in the women's 4x4 if they qualify without her and possibly sharlene also.. Nike are paying Rhasidat the big dollars now andcoach flo will have to follow orders.

Relay medals are great ,and as michael Johnson said a few years back this mixed relay event was a bit of a novelty circus event. Its all about the individual event going forward for Rhasidat.

aero2k

What a week of athletics! Anyone who remembers me from the distant past will know that I know noothing about track running in general, and sprinting in particular, but that doesn't prevent me appreciating wonderful performances. What struck me most was the composure. Since I watched Eamon Coghlan come fourth in Montreal, through Sonia getting forth in Barcelona, I've seen many Irish competitors in great positions, only to falter under the weight of expectation or perhaps because they were intimidated by the quality of the competition. We had 4 realistic medal chances and we got all four, in fact we probably outperformed in the womens 4 x 400. Much has been made of Adeleke, and she's an extraordinary talent, but Mawdsley is a terrific competitor. Twice she was handed the batten in a medal position, twice she delivered against world class opposition. Barr didn't crumble when overtaken by Doom, who went on to set a record in the individual, and he prevented a gap opening at a crucial moment. Adeleke improved her pacing dramatically from her last outing at this level. And Sophie Becker and Phil Healy have shown tremenduous persistence to get to the start line last night. In her race, Mageen waited for the gap to appear rather than burning fuel going the long way round.

For the experts on here, what are your thoughts regarding Rashidat? I have a feeling she can go much faster, while acknowledging that she'll have to do exactly that if she is to medal in Paris.

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122254125#Comment_122254125

Rashede likely doesn't go 'much faster' come late July-August. Be amazing if she went sub 49. I reckon gold has to go sub 49 in Paris. Her 49.07 is her PB, and is 4th fastest 2024 time for 400 meters

RoscommonHero

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122254282#Comment_122254282

I think Rashidat can dip below 49 and may medal if she runs her best. It could be between herself and the Polish girl again for bronze. I am amazed that the Polish girl increased her PB by half a second, all of a sudden at age 26. I know she has good pedigree and is a World silver medalist but that is a big leap in improvement for her age.

Thud

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122254312#Comment_122254312

they way the race was run probably has an impact there, both of them pushed each other for the last 100m they pulled well clear of the field and both set PBs

marathon2022

I would put my shirt on Adeleke going sub 49, this year,if she stays fit and uninjured.

Wottle

Adeleke can absolutely go sub 49 and be a medal contender.

Reading Cathal's article yesterday and it looks like the public are almost being prepared for her non participation in the mixed and maybe even womens 4*4.

Looks like this was a test before the Olympics to see what toll the schedule takes on Rhasidat.

I think there's certainly more to come especially by being single minded.

yerwanthere123

With Adeleke and Mawdsley taking most of the headlines you could almost be forgiven for forgetting about Phil Healy. At the age of 29 she's won her first ever major medal, and with many injuries/illnesses along the way. It must mean the world to her.

walshb

Don’t the 4x4 women come after individual 400? If so, no reason why Adeleke can’t do both.

Pherekydes

Yes, I agree she can go faster. Her main peak last year was for the NCAAs, which she won in her then PB, and this year her main peak is for Paris. So I'm hoping for 48high, at least. I think she'll finish ahead of the Pole.

Pherekydes

Edit

Pherekydes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122254334#Comment_122254334

Yeah, she was pushed all the way to the line. She's been improving consistently over the last few years and more to come, I would say.