Rhasidat Adeleke was set for a blockbuster 2026 after setting a national record over 300m indoors in February. But an injury early in the outdoor season looked like it would put a halt to her year’s aspirations.
As the unexpectedly successful season has come to an end, Adeleke reflected on how special this year was for her. But also how grateful she is to represent Ireland and get to be a role model for others, despite still looking up to her own idols such as boxer Katie Taylor.
Weird year
"It's been a really weird year for me. Things were going really well, and it was supposed to be probably the best season, and I just couldn't say healthy because I was pushing my body to a new limits," Adeleke told European Athletics.
"I'm just really happy to be able to have finished the season, to run a PR, which I never thought I would run a PR this season. I also never even thought I would have qualified for Europeans, so to go out there and show myself I still have the potential to be one of the best in the world gave me all the reassurance I needed."
The 22.28 in the 200m, and an Irish national record, came at the Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships to take silver behind Great Britain’s Amy Hunt and ahead of Dina Asher-Smith.
Her medal was one of Ireland’s unexpected successes at the championships due to Adeleke’s struggle to remain fully fit throughout the season.
But it made the celebrations much sweeter. Just as many Irish flags lined the stadium as there were British flags with many fans having made the journey across to Birmingham.
Those fans very much made the Irish athletes feel as close to a home championships as they have ever had. Each Irish medallist had groups of fans waiting for them at various locations around the stadium. With many even staying hours after the event to try and spot the athletes coming out of the media mixed zone.
“It's the best thing ever [being Irish],” Adeleke laughed. “I can't be any more grateful for the crowd and the fans.
“I don't know what I’ve done to deserve it, but there were even some Irish flags at Athlos. It just makes me so proud to be able to represent such an amazing nation and to have the support that they give us. I see them Irish flags in the crowd and I get so hyped and excited to perform.
Coping with online abuse
Like many people, not just athletes, whose lives are in the spotlight, Adeleke has also had to experience the negative attention online. But for her, with such a strong and passionate country supporting her, the positive always drowns out the few negative comments.
Adeleke steps onto the track to train or for competition knowing that she carries Ireland with her and she wouldn’t change that.
“It's such a privilege to represent Ireland because I myself still look up to so many amazing women, so for people to look up to me, it feels a bit surreal to be honest,” she said.
“I'm grateful, I'm grateful to be that grace for other people and to inspire people to take up the sport or to be resilient, or whatever kind of message you take from me and apply to their own lives.
“I was born and raised in Ireland, and I represent it with pride. So many people accept me, so I focus on people who accept me and who know me for me, who support me. I try not to feed into the negativity which is probably like 5% of them so I focus on the 95% who are positive.
“It's part of it, it's going to be whether I'm winning, if I'm losing, there’s always going to be someone say something. Even if it's about race, if it's about gender, if it's about age, people are always asking what to say. So it's just part of being in the limelight and I just come to accept it.”
2026 as a year for learning
Fighting through injuries is a tough physical and mental battle, but Adeleke also admitted it was a chance to learn. While she’s looking to stay healthy and build on her performances from this year, she is also not going to forget what 2026 has taught her.
Still just 24, the Irishwoman has big goals she wants to achieve, and a disrupted yet fruitful 2026 has shown her that they are still possible.
“It's been really hard, honestly,” Adeleke revealed. “There was just so many times where I just questioned myself and I questioned what I was doing. I know I still have it.
“I think there's just been a lot of inconsistencies this year with so many different needs. So I think once I get on a plan next year that we can really gauge towards building up the ultimate and focusing on the things I lack and be in a better position.
“This was a big learning year for me, and I want to learn all the lessons, take all the lessons from this year going forward, and I'm going to apply them.”
The 2027 indoor season will come round quick and provide Adeleke a chance to win her first European Athletics Indoor Championships medal if she chooses to run.
While this year most of her efforts have been over 200m, she is still eager to compete over 400m as well with the target of a sub-49 run still in the plan.
Adeleke’s success in 2026, despite the setbacks, has only made her even more excited to see what more she can achieve next year and beyond.
“If you told me that I was going to medal at Europeans after I'd barely qualified with 22.8 two weeks beforehand, so to run 22.2 after, I need to appreciate myself more and not limit myself, because I feel like I’m too much of a realist,” she opened up.
“I've been working with a performance coach, I've been working with people who just speak real positivity into me, and I think that's a good help in me.
“So next year, I'm really excited to see what I can do with a full year of racing.”