In a memorable year for Irish sport, sprinter Rhasidat Adeleke was one of the rising stars who caught the attention of a wider public who only tune into athletics for the big ticket events.
Adeleke was part of the 4x400m mixed relay team who won gold at the European championships, and helped the 4x400m women’s team to silver.
Individually, she won silver at the tournament, as June kickstarted a summer to remember for Irish athletics.
Rhasidat Adeleke celebrating winning a silver medal at the European Championships. Photo: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
In the Paris Olympics, it was heartbreak as she finished just outside the medal places in the 400m and women’s 4x400m.
In a year of firsts on the track, Adeleke says she will be aiming to improve in 2025, following her first year as a professional.
“I am really hard on myself because I want to be successful in everything I do,” she told BreakingNews.ie. “I can look back it and say I achieved a lot this year. There are definitely some things, like an Olympic medal, that I would like to get.
“One of my fears going into 2024, as my first year as a professional was the decline. A lot of college athletes face struggles as a professional because it is so different from college.”
The future is bright for the Dublin runner in the build up to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
Adeleke will take no break for Christmas, as she will stay in Texas as she prepares for the 2025 season.
Accepting it is important to remember the progress she has made, she admits she can be impatient.
“I am very impatient when it comes to success sometimes, I just want everything now. If I look at the progress I made, at my last European championships, I came fifth, and in this one, I came second. It is still progress.
“I have to be grateful for the success I made in such a short period. 2024 was my second year as a 4oo-metre runner, so with more experience and more time with the event, where I need to be.”
From witnessing how Ireland came to a standstill to watch her races, to rubbing shoulders with Rihanna, Adeleke has become a something of a superstar.
With an ever-growing Irish fanbase following her journey, more hope will be put on Adeleke’s shoulders.
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With great talent comes great expectations, but as she explains, her biggest critic is herself.
“I think with the way I am, I put a lot of pressure on myself already. The external pressure from others won’t really inflict more pressure on me necessarily, because I already want it for myself.
“When I don’t achieve my goals, I feel more for others. So many people invest [in my career], even in going to Paris. People pay for flights, people pay for stadium tickets, and in that moment where I didn’t medal, I obviously wanted it for myself, but I also felt so bad for everyone who gave so much time and had so much help.
“I think the post-race is where I feel the effect of pressure.”
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
