IRELAND’S RHASIDAT ADELEKE scorched to an incredible 100m gold medal at the European Athletics U20 Championships in Tallinn this evening.
The 18-year-old sprinting sensation won her final in a blistering 11.34, for the biggest victory of her career after her devastating heat and semi-final performances.
"I’m just so happy to be able to come here and perform and do my country proud." - Rhasidat Adeleke gives her reaction after a stunning gold medal at the European Athletics U20 Championships in Tallinn. #rtesport pic.twitter.com/gWeoKQD9hH
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) July 16, 2021
“I’m delighted,” the Tallaght AC star said afterwards. “I’m just so happy to be able to come here and to be consistent and compete.
“I was only meant to do one event coming here because it’s been such a long season over in the NCAA but I’m just so happy to be able to come here and perform and do myself and country proud. I’m delighted.”
“I just try my best to represent all the time,” she added. “To have one medal, and hopefully more to come, is great.”
Having had no coach with her in Estonia through a “mentally tough” few weeks after a “long, draining season” Stateside, Adeleke certainly turned on the style today and put Irish sprinting on the map once again.
She went on to sail through her 200m semi-final in 23.20, so expectations remain high.
Following in the footsteps of Gina Akpe-Moses who won 100m gold in 2017, she hopes they can lead a new generation of Irish sprinters..
“It just takes a couple of people to take the first few steps and there’s going to be a generation to follow,” she said.
“There’s actually been a couple of Irish sprinters doing their thing but it’s just to indicate that we’re more than just a distance running country. Ireland is known for the distance, we have a lot of sprinters on the rise and a lot of other distances coming up too.”
