Rhasidat Adeleke: The Making of an Olympic Contender

At just 21 years old, Rhasidat Adeleke has already established herself as a formidable force on the track internationally. With multiple Irish national records and national titles to her name, as well as three European medals, Adeleke already has a decorated athletics career so far. As she prepares for her Olympic debut in the 400m event, she has become one of Ireland’s most promising prospects for a medal in Paris.

Early Athletic Beginnings

Originally from Tallaght, Rhasidat Adeleke began her running journey at just ten years old when a teacher at St. Mark’s Secondary School recognised her potential as an athlete. Despite trying various sports, it was in fourth class that she truly found her stride by joining the athletics team. Her progress as a runner throughout her primary years led her to join Tallaght Athletics Club, setting the stage for her athletics career.

A Remarkable Juvenile & Junior Career

In a matter of years, Adeleke was unstoppable. By 2017, she was dominating U16 events across Ireland and nabbed silver in the 200m at the European Youth Olympics in Hungary. That same July, she also helped the 4x100m relay team to a bronze medal.

The following year, at just 15 years old, Rhasidat claimed her first national record by winning the Irish U20 indoor 60m title, simultaneously breaking both the U18 and U20 Irish records. Her crowning achievement that season was clinching gold in the 200m at the European U18 Championships in Gyor, Hungary.

The 2019 season brought even more victories on the international stage. At the European Youth Olympics in Azerbaijan, 17 year old Adeleke won gold in both the 100m and 200m events. That same year she made her senior international debut as a member of the 4x100m relay team that competed at the World Relays in Yokohama, Japan.

In 2021, Rhasidat accepted a scholarship to Texas University, where she progressed rapidly as an athlete. During her sophomore year, she broke two Irish records;U-20/U-23 100m (11.31) and the Senior 200m (22.96).

Back home again that summer, Adeleke capped her final season as a junior athlete with national and international victories. The eighteen year old Tallaght AC athlete secured her first national senior outdoor title win a win in the 100m. However, her crowning achievement was winning gold in both the 100m and 200m events at the European U-20 Championships in Estonia, breaking the Irish national record again in the 200m final (22.90)

Senior Success & 400m Focus

Back again in College in Texas, her coach was moving her more towards the 400m, a distance at which she broke several national records. On returning to Europe, she retained her 100m national title and targeted the World and European Athletics Championships.

Later that summer, her first major test on the senior international stage came in the 400m individual race at 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon. Rhasidat ran a solid race in her heat, finishing in 2nd place. However, in the semi-final, she narrowly missed advancing to the final, finishing 4th.

Two months later at the European Championships in Munich she finished 4th in the 400m heat and 3rd in the semi-final. Her fantastic 5^th place, in the final came with the bonus of a new Irish national record with a time of 50.53.

In 2023, Adeleke continued her record-breaking spree in America, clocking 22.84 in the 200m and 49.40 in the 400m. At her second World Championships in Budapest, she won her heat and came second in the semi-final, but narrowly missed out on a podium finish by placing fourth in the final. But with Olympic qualification secured, her sights were set on Paris.

Olympic Year & Euro Medal Successes

After another strong season in the United States, Adeleke first stopped off in the Bahamas, where she helped the mixed relay team secure a bronze medal at the World Relays and achieved Olympic qualification.

Adeleke then began her Paris Olympics preparations at the European Athletics Championships, where she made a significant impact on Ireland's medal tally. On a historic night for Irish athletics, her blistering split of 49.53 was crucial in clinching a gold medal for the mixed relay team, alongside Thomas Barr, Sharlene Mawdsley, and Chris O'Donnell.

In the 400m individual event, Adeleke stormed through her semi-final and impressed in the final, earning silver with an Irish record-breaking time of 49.07. She then competed in the 4x400m relay final, where her contribution helped secure silver for Ireland. Her remarkable performances in Rome brought her total medal count to one gold and two silvers. The world was sitting up – watching the Irish girl, recognizing the Tallaght AC athlete, who was by now a serious contender for an Olympic medal.

Just a few weeks later, Rhasidat secured her third 100m senior Irish title, winning a head-to-head with Sarah Lavin. Her winning time of 11.13 added a third Irish national record to her collection.

Conclusion

Rhasidat Adeleke's rise in athletics has been remarkable. From her days at St Mary’s in Tallaght to smashing national records and bagging European medals, Adeleke has quickly become a standout star.

As she gears up for her Olympic debut in Paris 2024, Adeleke stands poised to add yet another chapter to her impressive career. Her achievements thus far, coupled with her ongoing drive and skill, suggest that the best is yet to come.

We wish her every success.

Image: Perri Williams