RHASIDAT ADELEKE HAS stormed into the final of the women’s 200m after winning her semi-final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham.
Adeleke, who has struggled with injuries over the last year, clocked a season’s best time of 22.43 in the third of three semi-finals, and advanced in style as the second-fastest automatic qualifier.
“It felt good,” she told RTÉ’s David Gillick after her semi-final.
“Just having fun and enjoying the process has really brought me down to earth. I’m taking it all in my stride and not allowing the pressure to consume me, but I’m allowing it to fuel me.
“For me, it’s just repetition. I haven’t raced that much this year, so getting the rounds in is very important for me. I knew I could do something good. It’s just believing it, believing in the training and believing that I am still who I am – the person with all the records and the medals.
“Sometimes when you’re down and things aren’t going well, you forget who you are. And today I was like, ‘You’re that girl. You can do this.’”
'Just having fun and enjoying the process has really brought me down to earth - now I'm just enjoying everything' - a content Rhasidat Adeleke on reaching the 200m final at the European Athletics Championships #rtesport#EuropeanAthleticspic.twitter.com/i9QbqeQrO8
Reflecting on her victory at the National Athletics championships where she secured the European qualification time, Adeleke said:
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“I was in a place where I was consuming myself with so much negativity. And as an athlete who wants to achieve a lot, that’s gonna happen when things aren’t going well. So, that moment in Santry did more than I could imagine for me. That’s why I’m able to show up here today.”
Ireland’s Lauren Roy was also competing in the women’s 200m and finished in fourth place in the second semi-final.
Roy was running in Lane 4 and after a blistering start, she took fourth in time of 23.16. It wasn’t enough to clinch a place in the final, but it was an impressive performance.
Meanwhile, Nicola Tuthill has secured a brilliant fifth-place finish after a best throw of 70.33m in the women’s hammer throw final. The UCD AC athlete, who produced a best throw of 70.09m to advance to the final, finished in ninth place on her debut at this competition in 2024.
The 22-year-old Cork woman, the youngest athlete in the final, has now improved on that result as she enjoyed her best-ever finish as a senior athlete at a major championships.
“I was ninth last time and fifth this time so [I'm] moving in the right direction,” she said on RTÉ Sport after the final.
“To start with 70m was nice confidence booster, and then unfortunately, the next few throws didn’t go my way. I had to reset and build again. The distance just wasn’t there tonight, but I was still fifth place.
“I was ranked about 10th coming in, so to come fifth, I can’t really complain. I’m constantly learning, constantly analysing, looking at what I did well, what I did wrong and take that into future competitions.
“This is the end of my season. I finish up now and take a little rest before getting back into training for next year.”
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'You're that girl. You can do this' - Adeleke beams after reaching European women's 200m final
RHASIDAT ADELEKE HAS stormed into the final of the women’s 200m after winning her semi-final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham.
Adeleke, who has struggled with injuries over the last year, clocked a season’s best time of 22.43 in the third of three semi-finals, and advanced in style as the second-fastest automatic qualifier.
“It felt good,” she told RTÉ’s David Gillick after her semi-final.
“Just having fun and enjoying the process has really brought me down to earth. I’m taking it all in my stride and not allowing the pressure to consume me, but I’m allowing it to fuel me.
“For me, it’s just repetition. I haven’t raced that much this year, so getting the rounds in is very important for me. I knew I could do something good. It’s just believing it, believing in the training and believing that I am still who I am – the person with all the records and the medals.
“Sometimes when you’re down and things aren’t going well, you forget who you are. And today I was like, ‘You’re that girl. You can do this.’”
Reflecting on her victory at the National Athletics championships where she secured the European qualification time, Adeleke said:
“I was in a place where I was consuming myself with so much negativity. And as an athlete who wants to achieve a lot, that’s gonna happen when things aren’t going well. So, that moment in Santry did more than I could imagine for me. That’s why I’m able to show up here today.”
Ireland’s Lauren Roy was also competing in the women’s 200m and finished in fourth place in the second semi-final.
Roy was running in Lane 4 and after a blistering start, she took fourth in time of 23.16. It wasn’t enough to clinch a place in the final, but it was an impressive performance.
Meanwhile, Nicola Tuthill has secured a brilliant fifth-place finish after a best throw of 70.33m in the women’s hammer throw final. The UCD AC athlete, who produced a best throw of 70.09m to advance to the final, finished in ninth place on her debut at this competition in 2024.
The 22-year-old Cork woman, the youngest athlete in the final, has now improved on that result as she enjoyed her best-ever finish as a senior athlete at a major championships.
“I was ninth last time and fifth this time so [I'm] moving in the right direction,” she said on RTÉ Sport after the final.
“To start with 70m was nice confidence booster, and then unfortunately, the next few throws didn’t go my way. I had to reset and build again. The distance just wasn’t there tonight, but I was still fifth place.
“I was ranked about 10th coming in, so to come fifth, I can’t really complain. I’m constantly learning, constantly analysing, looking at what I did well, what I did wrong and take that into future competitions.
“This is the end of my season. I finish up now and take a little rest before getting back into training for next year.”
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Athletics european athletics championships Lauren Roy Nicola Tuthill Rhasidat Adeleke