RHASIDAT ADELEKE AND Chris O’Donnell stormed through to their respective 400-metre semi-finals at the World Athletics Championship in Oregon on Sunday. 

Running in her first individual race of the Championships – having already featured in the final of the 4x400m mixed relay – Adeleke qualified automatically from her heat, finishing second in a time of 51.59. That semi-final takes place next Wednesday, at 3.15am Irish time. 

O’Donnell, meanwhile, finished fourth in his 400m heat in a time of 46.01, which was fast enough to send him through as one of the six fastest outside the automatic spots. O’Donnell was close to securing automatic progress, pipped at the finishing line by Lidio Andres Feliz of the Dominican Republic. O’Donnell’s semi-finals is slated a half-hour earlier than Adeleke’s in the early hours of next Wednesday morning. 

There was qualification disappointment, meanwhile, for Sophie Becker: her fifth-placed finish and time of 52.83 was not enough to secure progress through her heat in the 400m. 

Also on today’s schedule in Oregon are Thomas Barr – who runs in the 400m hurdles semi-final at 2.03am Irish time – and Andrew Coscoran, who will feature in the 1500m semi-finals at 3am Irish time.