Rhasidat Adeleke Finishes Fourth in 200m at London Athlos Meeting

Rhasidat Adeleke finished her outdoor athletics season with a fourth-place finish in the 200 metres at the Athlos meeting in north London, clocking 22.64 seconds at the StoneX Stadium. Olympic champion Gabby Thomas claimed the victory and the $65,000 top prize in 22.13 seconds.

The all-female meeting marked a milestone for the sport as the first European staging of the invitation-only event conceived by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. Staged at the StoneX Stadium, the fixture brought together elite fields across six premium disciplines, each limited to six invited competitors. The event is part of a broader push by Ohanian to develop elite women-only sporting events across the globe backed by substantial prize money.

Total prize money for Athlos London exceeded just over $1m (€920,000), with an additional $250,000 (€217,000) dangled for anyone breaking a world record. While the London event drew star power and lucrative backing, the long-term calendar remains unsettled, as an anticipated October staging in New York has already been cancelled.

Sprint Contests and Adeleke’s Season Closer

Starting from lane three, Adeleke positioned herself well with an excellent first bend that put her in contention in third place entering the homestretch. Thomas surged away from the pack in lane six, securing a United States sweep of the podium places. Kayla White finished second in 22.40 seconds, and Anavia Battle took third in 22.43 seconds before Adeleke crossed in 22.64 seconds.

For Adeleke, the race brought the curtain down on a demanding campaign that included overcoming two hamstring tears earlier in the year. She had recently broken her own Irish record to claim the silver medal in the 200 metres at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, running 22.28 seconds. Her fourth-place finish in north London earned her $15,000 (€13,000).

Middle-Distance Showdowns and High-Stakes Purses

Sophie O’Sullivan also featured on the programme in a high-class 800-metre race. Competing against a field that included Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson—who competed in an all-black speed suit featuring a ponytail cut-out and long sleeves—O’Sullivan finished fifth in a time of 2:00.53. Hodgkinson dominated the event to win comfortably in 1:56.40.

Rhasidat Adeleke Finishes Fourth in 200m at London Athlos Meeting — Photo: Irish Examiner

O’Sullivan earned her spot in the invitation-only field after breaking the two-minute barrier in her last three races. Reflecting on the tactical pace, she noted that the opening lap was passed in 57.53 seconds.

Despite the fast early splits, O’Sullivan collected $10,000 (€8,700) for her fifth-place finish.

Entertainment Production and Evening Highlights

Beyond traditional track competition, the meeting leaned heavily into presentation. Participating athletes were paraded onto a stage positioned directly opposite the homestretch before their events, and each winner received a bespoke Tiffany & Co. crown immediately following their victory.

Keely Hodgkinson and Sophie O'Sullivan in action during the 800m race during Athlos 2026 at the StoneX Stadium in London — Photo: Irishtimes

Other standout performances on the night included Poland’s Klaudia Kazimierska capturing the mile in 4:19.43 after sneaking through on the inside line to edge past Georgia Hunter Bell. In the 400 metres, Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic claimed victory in 48.73 seconds, narrowly defeating European champion Henriette Jaeger, who set a Norwegian national record with the same 48.73 time. Additional winners included Alaysha Johnson in the 100-metre hurdles at 12.50 seconds and Sha’Carri Richardson in the 100 metres at 10.80 seconds.