Adeleke is poised for a new chapter in the US
By Stephen Leonard
TALLAGHT Athletic Club sprinter Rhasidat Adeleke could well be bound for the US after recently reaching an agreement with University of Texas at Austin.
One of the rising stars of Irish athletics, the double European Youth Olympic gold medallist has attracted a lot of attention from across ‘the pond’ with a number of universities demonstrating serious interest in securing her services on scholarship.
Rhasidat Adeleke
Yet while the 17-year-old admits that she can never be sure where life will take her especially in these uncertain times, she has paved the way for an eventual move to America.
Indeed, while she has undoubtedly flourished under the tutelage of Johnny Fox and later Daniel Kilgallon at Tallaght AC, a new chapter in her career may well see her come under the wing of Texas Longhorns coach Edrick Floréal later in the year or 2021.
Adeleke was the winner of ‘The Echo 2018 Sports Star of the Year’ Award, after a season that saw her capture 200m gold at the European Under 18 Championships in Hungary and help the Ireland squad to silver at the IAAF World Under 20 Championships in Finland.
She really burst on to the scene the year before when she took silver in the European Youth Olympics over 200m.
But she completed eclipsed that achievement in 2019 when she stormed to victory in both the 100m and 200m races at the same event in Baku.
One of the most highly rated emerging sprinters in Europe right now, Adeleke enjoyed her fastest start to a season in 2020 clocking an impressive 23.99 in the National Junior Champion-ships 200m and a 60m PB of 7.35.
One of her primary goals this year was the World Under 20 Championships in Nairobi Kenya, but they have since been postponed from their original date in July as a result of the Coronavirus threat.
By subscribing to The Echo you are supporting your local newspaper Click Here: Echo Online.
