Irish sprinting sensation Rhasidat Adeleke is set to capture the nation’s attention tonight as she prepares for the highly anticipated women’s 400m final at the Paris Olympics.
The 21-year-old from Tallaght has already scripted history, becoming the first Irish woman to make a sprint final at an Olympic Games. The race at the Stade de France in Paris will begin at 7pm Irish time.
Born in Dublin to Nigerian parents, Adeleke joined the Tallaght Athletic Club at the age of 11 and dabbled in a number of track events before settling on sprinting.
She burst into national prominence at the age of 15, when she won a European U18 title in the 200m and bagged a silver at the World U20 Championships in the 4x100m relay. At 18, she won the 100m/200m sprint double at the European U20 Championships in Estonia, which paved the way for a scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin.
In 2023, Adeleke became the first Irish athlete to win a National Collegiate Athletics Association sprint title.
Soon after her graduation, she set a new Irish record and her personal best time of 49.07 seconds when she bagged a silver at the 2024 European Championships in Rome. The event saw her become the first Irish woman to cover the distance in under 50 seconds.
Despite the accomplishments, Adeleke, the only black member of Team Ireland, was subjected to a wave of racist online abuse in recent times.
Taoiseach Simon Harris had lent his support to the athlete, describing Adeleke as an inspiration. “Rhasidat Adeleke is not only a world-class champion, she is a world-class person. You have inspired a nation this week, especially young girls and boys. You are class, so please do not let online cowards bring you down. You are Ireland and Ireland could not be more proud of you.”