Who is Rhasidat Adeleke? All about the 21-year-old sprinter who won 3 medals at European Athletics Championships to help Ireland qualify for Olympics

Rhasidat Adeleke is a track and field athlete who represents Ireland in sprint disciplines. The 21-year-old has been making waves through her remarkable performances on the track in the 2024 Olympic season.

At the recently concluded European Athletics Championships, Adeleke clinched three medals, including one gold and two silver in Rome. In the mixed 4x400m relay event, she played a crucial role in helping the Irish team win the gold as she ran the second leg. Ireland won the event with a national record time of 3:09.92 as they also set a championship record and world-leading time.

Rhasidat Adeleke then went on to bag an individual silver medal in the women’s 400m individual race where she registered a time of 49.07s, only behind Natalia Kaczmarek of Poland (48.98s). She then contributed to the women’s 4x400m team’s silver-medal victory at the tournament as the team clocked another national record, meet record, and world-lead performance of 3:09.92.

Over a month ago, Adeleke was instrumental in helping Ireland qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics at the World Athletics Relays. She contributed to the team's first-place finish in the mixed 4x400m relay heats, securing Ireland a direct berth in the Quadrennial Games. Later, she assisted in winning the bronze medal for Ireland in the same event during the finals.

With the Paris Olympics approaching, the Irish athlete is one to watch during the Summer Games. So, let's dive into knowing more about Adeleke.

Rhasidat Adeleke’s hometown and family

Adeleke was born on August 29, 2002, to Nigerian parents Ade and Prince Adeleke in Dublin. She has a brother named Abdullahi and a sister named Latifah. Her family presently resides in Texas.

Rhasidat Adeleke’s education

Adeleke attended the Presentation College Terenure during her high school years. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Corporate Communication from the University of Texas.

Rhasidat Adeleke’s other top achievements

Christopher O'Donnell, Rhasidat Adeleke, Sharlene Mawdsley and Thomas Barr after winning in the 4x400 Metres Mixed Relay Final at European Athletics Championships Rome 2024. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

In 2016, Adeleke clinched the silver medal at the Glohealth All Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships in the minor girls 100m race. During the All Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships in 2017, she collected the 100m and 200m events. She went on to pick the silver medal at the European Youth Olympics Festival.

At the 2018 European U18 Championships, Adeleke bagged the gold medal in the 200m. She was a member of the women’s 4x100m relay event that won the silver medal at the World U20 Championships in 2018.

In 2019, she won the 100m and 200m at the European Youth Olympics. At the European U20 Championships, Adeleke achieved two gold medals in the 100m and 200m in the 2021 editions. She was honored with the U23 Athlete of the Year by Athletics Ireland in 2023.