The Irish athlete – hot on the heels of Mark English’s gold - has won the silver medal in the women's 200m at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham. pic.twitter.com/yhFRZJKLwN
100m champion Amy Hunt of Great Britain doubled up with 200m gold in 22.19, while her compatriot Dina Asher-Smith took bronze in 22.29.
Adeleke split them with a powerful finish, and lowered her Irish record from 2023.
“I feel blessed to come away with a medal,” Adeleke told RTE’s David Gillick.
“My initial thought when I crossed the line was, ‘Oh I didn’t win,’ I had to bring it back to who I want to be. I don’t want to be that person anymore, I want to find gratitude in everything. As soon as that sank in and I realised I’d broken the national record… from where I’ve come from this season, even last season, I can only be grateful, honestly.”
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Adeleke won her semi-final in a season’s best time of 22.43, as the second fastest qualifier behind Hunt. The Dubliner secured her spot at these championships with her final chance after an injury-ravaged period, having dropped from 400m to 200m.
“I’m better. Who would have thought?” Adeleke continued.
“It was kind of nice coming in as the underdog, and then I ran how I did yesterday and it’s now, ‘Oh, Rhasidat is going to win.’ I was trying to block that out. This means so much to me.
Adeleke celebrates after winning silver. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
“Just knowing the journey. I know I don’t show everything that I do and everything I go through, but I think even showing snippets now is really helpful because it almost alleviates that stress a bit. People are asking, ‘What’s going on? Why aren’t you running, this and that?’ I’m just internalising everything, and it’s so heavy to carry. And now I just want to be free, I want to be happy, I want to enjoy this sport. It’s given me so much, I want to give it so much.
“It’s unreal. Honestly guys, if you guys knew, this journey was… There were just so many times I was like, ‘Am I cooked?’”
On the final itself, which Adeleke ran in lane six with Hunt and Asher-Smith outside her, the Tallaght 23-year-old added:
“I don’t think I got as good a start as I did in the heats. I was actually talking to myself racing. I said, ‘Relax,’ because I wanted to run fluid, and when I tense up that does nothing for me. I was trying to get myself some cues, and I think that helped a little bit.
“I think I just need some more repetition this year, so then I can nail down the exact race plan that I need to run faster.”
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Rhasidat Adeleke secures 200m silver at European Athletics Championships
IRELAND’S RHASIDAT ADELEKE has won 200m silver at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham.
Adeleke clocked a national record of 22.28 seconds at Alexander Stadium to join Mark English as a European medallist on a memorable night for Ireland at Alexander Stadium.
100m champion Amy Hunt of Great Britain doubled up with 200m gold in 22.19, while her compatriot Dina Asher-Smith took bronze in 22.29.
Adeleke split them with a powerful finish, and lowered her Irish record from 2023.
“I feel blessed to come away with a medal,” Adeleke told RTE’s David Gillick.
“My initial thought when I crossed the line was, ‘Oh I didn’t win,’ I had to bring it back to who I want to be. I don’t want to be that person anymore, I want to find gratitude in everything. As soon as that sank in and I realised I’d broken the national record… from where I’ve come from this season, even last season, I can only be grateful, honestly.”
Adeleke won her semi-final in a season’s best time of 22.43, as the second fastest qualifier behind Hunt. The Dubliner secured her spot at these championships with her final chance after an injury-ravaged period, having dropped from 400m to 200m.
“I’m better. Who would have thought?” Adeleke continued.
“It was kind of nice coming in as the underdog, and then I ran how I did yesterday and it’s now, ‘Oh, Rhasidat is going to win.’ I was trying to block that out. This means so much to me.
“Just knowing the journey. I know I don’t show everything that I do and everything I go through, but I think even showing snippets now is really helpful because it almost alleviates that stress a bit. People are asking, ‘What’s going on? Why aren’t you running, this and that?’ I’m just internalising everything, and it’s so heavy to carry. And now I just want to be free, I want to be happy, I want to enjoy this sport. It’s given me so much, I want to give it so much.
On the final itself, which Adeleke ran in lane six with Hunt and Asher-Smith outside her, the Tallaght 23-year-old added:
“I don’t think I got as good a start as I did in the heats. I was actually talking to myself racing. I said, ‘Relax,’ because I wanted to run fluid, and when I tense up that does nothing for me. I was trying to get myself some cues, and I think that helped a little bit.
“I think I just need some more repetition this year, so then I can nail down the exact race plan that I need to run faster.”
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