Rhasidat Adeleke vs Kendall Ellis: 400m sprint queens set to clash ahead of probable Olympic rematch

Rhasidat Adeleke vs Kendall Ellis: 400m sprint queens set to clash ahead of probable Olympic rematch

Festus Chuma 19:20 - 08.07.2024

The two top 400m runners will face off in an exciting race previewing a potential Olympic showdown this summer.

On the heels of breaking the Irish 100m record Rhasidat Adeleke is setting her sights on improving her personal best in the 400m at the Monaco Diamond League event.

The competition, set for Friday, July 12, will see the 21-year-old Irish sensation facing a formidable challenge from USA's Kendall Ellis.

Adeleke enters the race with a personal record of 49.07 making her the fastest contender.

Meanwhile, Ellis boasts a season best of 49.46 which also doubles as her personal best.

Adeleke recently cut 0.13 seconds off her previous personal best at the European Championships in Rome in June.

This performance has placed her fourth in the 2024 world rankings, behind USA's Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (48.75), Jamaica's Nickisha Pryce (48.89), and the new European champion Natalia Kaczmarek.

Reflecting on her recent achievements and future goals, Adeleke stated: "Paris is the goal. Whatever we could do here, we'd do it. We'll be training hard for the next couple of weeks and hopefully by the time it comes to Paris, I'll be where I need to be."

Kendall Ellis brings her own impressive credentials to the race as she won gold in the 4x400m relay and bronze in the Mixed 4x400m relay at the Tokyo Olympics.

Additionally, she has competed in the 400m at the 2017 and 2019 World Championships, securing gold medals as part of the prelim 4x400m relays.

Ellis’s journey to this point has not been without drama as less than an hour before her semifinal at the U.S. track trials, she found herself trapped in a porta-potty, frantically banging on the door and screaming for help.

Despite this unexpected hurdle, she managed to qualify for the Olympics, demonstrating her resilience and determination.

In addition to Adeleke and Ellis, the race will feature a strong lineup of competitors.

France’s Shana Grebo enters with a season-best and personal best of 51.71. USA’s Alexis Holmes has a season-best and personal best of 49.78.

The Netherlands’ Lieke Klaver comes in with a season-best of 50.08 and a personal best of 49.81.

Finally, USA’s Shamier Little boasts a season-best of 50.13 and a personal best of 49.68.

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