Rhasidat Adeleke got her 2023 World Championships off to a perfect start as she coasted to heat victory on Saturday morning in the 400-metre race.
Tipped by many to break her own personal best and compete for a medal, Adeleke was in the fifth of sixth heats and was a relaxed figure as she made her way to the start line.
The Dubliner, running out of lane five, stayed among the pack for the first half of the race before clicking into gear in the final 100 metres to push away from her fellow athletes.
Adeleke clocked an impressive time of 50.80 as she eased up on the finish line, leaving plenty in the tank as she prepared for her semi-final on Sunday.
Sharlene Mawdsley was forced to wait and see if she would qualify for the semi-finals after running a personal best 51.17.
Finishing in fourth place in her heat, it was not enough for automatic qualification but Mawdsley was comfortable among the fastest runner ups and will compete again on Sunday.
