Ireland's hopes of securing a final spot in the women's 400m relay at the World Championships have been dealt a hammer blow, with Rhasidat Adeleke unavailable for the event.
The Tallaght sensation finished fourth in the 400m final in Budapest on Wednesday night and had been expected to anchor the quartet, however a long season has caught up on the 20-year-old.
Fourth in the individual final in a time of 50.13 seconds, Adeleke looked spent when she crossed the line half a second behind third-placed Sada Williams of Barbados.
That was her third race in four days, following a gruelling American collegiate season, which saw her crowned NCAA 400m champion in June.
Adeleke made the decision to turn pro following her NCAA success, and while her first few months as a professional have not gone as smoothly as hoped, this may be partly explained by an MRI for an unspecified issue in the last few weeks.
Sharlene Mawdsley, Sophie Becker, Roisin Harrison, Kelly McGrory and Niamh Murray are the five runners vying for places on the team ahead of Saturday evening's heats, with the team to be named on Saturday morning.
