Rhasidat Adeleke’s season has officially ended after she confirmed she won’t compete at next month’s World Championships in Tokyo — www.naijnaira.com reports.
The 22-year-old sprinter took to Instagram to say setbacks in her recovery meant she could no longer train or compete at the level she demands of herself.
Her statement read: “Following yet another recent roadblock, I’m saddened to share that I am unable to finish out the season. I’ll take this time to heal, recover and do what’s necessary so I can show up next season as my best self, mind and body.”
According to the Irish Times, Sonia O’Sullivan wasn’t impressed with how Adeleke handled the announcement and questioned her level of honesty about the situation.
“My first concern for Rhasidat Adeleke right now is that she’s not being entirely open or honest,” O’Sullivan said, adding that she doubts whether the relay was ever considered an option.
The Tallaght runner had already missed the National Championships in Santry last month and hasn’t raced since July at the London Diamond League, where she clocked 22.95 seconds in the 200m.
O’Sullivan argued Adeleke could have still contributed to Ireland’s 4x400m relay squad, the same team that secured fourth at the Paris Olympics just last year.
“Maybe another option for Tokyo would have been to just focus on the relay when she realised her individual 400m aspirations weren’t working out,” O’Sullivan wrote.
She went further, claiming Instagram wasn’t the right platform for such an announcement, stressing: “Even her posting a message on Instagram struck me as odd.”
Adeleke’s times this season have been below her best, with 400m finishes of 50.42, 50.48, and 51.3, far from her 49.07 Irish record in 2024.
Despite this setback, Adeleke is still young at 22 and may target next year’s World Indoors in Poland or the European Championships in Birmingham.
The Tokyo World Championships begin on September 13 and run until September 21 with medal hopes now resting on athletes like Kate O’Connor, Mark English, and Sarah Healy.
Article updated 1 month ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
