Rhasidat Adeleke talks trolls, training and the Olympics: ‘People expect great things from me, and that’s a privilege’
After her medal haul at the European Athletics Championships, the Dublin sprinter tells Weekend Magazine she is now aware of adjustments she needs to make for the Olympics next month. Here, the 21-year-old Tallaght AC star talks about ignoring racist trolls, the recent death of her first ever athletics coach and getting herself mentally ready for the Games in Paris
The rise of Rhasidat Adeleke: The inside track from Texas
It speaks volumes of the expectation heaped on Rhasidat Adeleke — not just by the public and her team, but by herself — that the Dubliner emerged from this month’s European Athletics Championships with three medals and yet still felt there was room for improvement in her performance.
Adeleke set a new national record and personal best when she ran the 400m final in 49.07 seconds. She also won gold and silver medals respectively with the mixed 4x400m and women’s 4x400m relay teams. By anyone’s reckoning, this was a phenomenal achievement for a 21-year-old athlete. After the 400m final, Adeleke admitted to RTÉ Sports, “Honestly, do you know what, when I crossed the line second, I was a bit devastated. But to even come out here with a PB, I’m really excited about it.”
